Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images
Plus: Embiid and Maxey has Sixers one win away from conference finals
Sixers hang on despite late scare from Celtics, 115-103
Philly gained their separation by way of a 12-1 run between first and second quarters, a 9-3 to start the second half, and a 10-2 run in the fourth, maintaining their leads well in the other minutes. Boston’s latest lead was less than four minutes into the opening quarter.
Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 36 points (11-27 FG). Adding 10 rebounds gives him his 28th career double-double in the playoffs. However, the Sixers had just a bit more firepower with Joel Embiid scoring 33 in addition to Tyrese Maxey’s 30 while Boston’s second-leading scorer, Jaylen Brown, had just 24.
Celtics didn’t go quietly, using a last-ditch 9-0 run late to keep Sixers on their heels and potentially build some momentum going into game 6, now a do-or-die game. Road teams are now 3-2 in this series which should give Boston some bit of optimism going into Philly on Thursday at 7:30.
Jokic leads total domination in Nuggets’ 118-102 win over Suns
“I just wanted to make fun at least a little bit. And I was hoping he’s gonna pay my [$25,000] fine, but nah.”
Nikola Jokic on giving Mat Ishbia a basketball before Nuggets-Suns Game 5 pic.twitter.com/z20DZr1Pxc
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 10, 2023
Nikola Jokic appeared to make peace with Mat Ishbia before the game, but he still wanted to make war with the Phoenix Suns. He and the Nuggets started so hot that he was halfway to a triple-double by the end of the first quarter. They were able to withstand a second-quarter haymaker from the Suns, and that was all the fight Phoenix showed.
Jokic would finish with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists, becoming the first center — and eighth player — to total at least 10 playoff triple-doubles, but it was a full team effort with four other Nuggets joining him in double-figures including Bruce Brown, who scored a bench career high 25 points.
As the series goes back to Phoenix for a do-or-die game 6, Suns will have to hope that Devin Booker and Kevin Durant can get back to their otherworldly ways after neither were able to reach 30 points, which had been a pedestrian benchmark for them in the postseason. They’ll look to continue defending homecourt on Thursday at 10.
