Sixers

Sixers Not Dead Yet After Thumping Brick-Laying Celtics in Game 5

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Apr 28th, 2026 · 10:00 PM EDT

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The Sixers are battling. They’re not dead yet.

They overpowered the Celtics in Game 5, outscoring Boston 28-11 in the fourth quarter en route to a 16-point road win. Joel Embiid put up 33 points on 12-23 shooting and the Celtics went 11-39 from three while falling apart entirely in the second half.

It leaves you with mixed emotions, does it not? Many questions must be asked and answered, for instance:

• Where was this effort in Game 4?
• Why can they beat Boston on the road but not at home?
• What if Joel Embiid was available at the start of the series?
• Will the Celtics win by 25 points in South Philly on Thursday night?
• Is this Boston team worth a damn if they aren’t hitting threes?
• How much of an asshole is Payton Pritchard for that outlier Game 4 performance?
• Are we back to caring about this Sixers team, or is this simply delaying the inevitable?
• Are we going to get our hearts once again ripped out of our chests and shoved down our throats?
• What if the Flyers somehow lose in 7 while the Sixers win in 7?

There are some parallels to the 2023 Celtics/Sixers series taking place here. Both series began without Embiid, and came back to Philly tied up 1-1. Then there was a deflating Game 3 home loss and a Game 5 road win in Boston. They got their doors blown off in twice in 2023, and twice so far in this series.

Hopefully it doesn’t end the same way, with a whimper. Make these Massholes earn it. Give us something to believe in. Get the building going on Thursday night. You’re down 3-2 but you’ve got your best player back and nothing to lose. The Sixers can beat these bums, they just need to buckle down and focus.

The Philadelphia 76ers: What is dead may never die