Embiid leads 76ers to crucial win over Celtics to stay alive as Knicks defeat Hawks

[p]A dominant second half by the big man from Cameroon, in just his second game back after an April 9 emergency appendectomy, enabled the Sixers to pull within 3-2 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first round playoff matchup.[/p][p]"[b]It's kind of hard. I only had once chance to go up and back (on the court) before I came back,[/b]" [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/embiid-joel/G2hZm0nI/"]Embiid[/a] said. "[b]Using this game and last game to kind of get back into it.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I found my rhythm in the second half. We adjusted some stuff at halftime. I feel OK. I feel good. We got a win. That's all that matters[/b]."[/p][p]The series shifts back to Philadelphia for game six on Thursday with a seventh game, if needed, in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/boston-celtics/KYD9hVEm/"]Boston[/a] on Saturday.[/p][p]"[b]We did our job[/b]," Embiid said. "[b]We're going to need everybody to come back to Boston.[/b]"[/p][p]Embiid struggled with three-pointers early before dominating in the paint.[/p][p]"[b]When they got the lead early, we kept playing our game,[/b]" Embiid said. "[b]I missed a couple (outside) and I went inside and found some luck.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="ac725387-b482-460e-a6f3-798fc11559b2" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2049306316821168176?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maxey-tyrese/r9DvnZeC/"]Tyrese Maxey[/a] added 25 points and 10 rebounds for the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/philadelphia-76ers/vwRW2QSh/"]76ers[/a], who also had 16 points and nine rebounds from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/george-paul/KOvfaZVQ/"]Paul George[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tatum-jayson/t4Y4e7r0/"]Jayson Tatum[/a] had 24 points and 16 rebounds for Boston, which also had 22 points from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brown-jaylen/l88NjhUb/"]Jaylen Brown[/a].[/p][p]But the Celtics were outscored 28-11 in the fourth quarter, producing their fewest points in any quarter this season with the series clincher up for grabs.[/p][p]The Celtics, chasing a second NBA title in three seasons, or 76ers will face either [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-knicks/WCNO4nbt/"]New York[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atlanta-hawks/xAO4gBas/"]Atlanta[/a] in the second round.[/p][p][b]The Sixers have not won a playoff series since sweeping [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brooklyn-nets/bsAMUpDO/"]Brooklyn[/a] in the first round in 2023.[/b][/p][p]The Celtics, who have missed the playoffs only once since 2007, are trying to reach the second round for the fifth year in a row and ninth time in 10 seasons.[/p][p]Boston led 57-50 at halftime but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/edgecombe-jr-valdez/GSA6NTGG/"]V.J. Edgecombe[/a]'s three-pointer lifted the Sixers within 66-65 midway into the third quarter.[/p][p]Embiid tweaked his left knee and went to the locker room late in the third quarter with the game on a knife's edge.[/p][p]Boston went on a 7-0 run, but Embiid returned as the Celtics clung to an 86-85 lead entering the fourth quarter.[/p][p][b]Embiid sparked the Sixers to a 102-94 lead, their largest of the game to that point, with 5:16 remaining and Boston could not recover.[/b][/p][p]The Knicks seized a 3-2 lead in their series [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/atlanta-hawks-xAO4gBas/new-york-knicks-WCNO4nbt/?mid=2wPpteVr"]with a 126-97 home victory[/a] over the Hawks.[/p][embed guid="16af05da-5116-4e7e-a40a-3343a8f66c93" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2049326078494224853?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Jalen Brunson scored 39 points on 15-of-23 shooting from the floor and added eight assists while Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and 14 rebounds for the hosts.[/p][p]Atlanta must win at home in game six on Thursday to force a winner-take-all game seven in New York on Saturday.[/p]