The Philadelphia 76ers stayed alive in the playoffs with a surprising 113-97 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 5 at TD Garden on Tuesday. It was Joel Embiid who led the way in just his second game back since undergoing an appendectomy on April 9, and he spoke about his desire to play and the narratives about him in his postgame press conference.
“The one thing about me is I’ve dealt with a lot of stuff over my career,” Embiid said, via PHLY Sports. “I don’t complain. I just want to give as much as I can every single time I step on the floor. I know a lot of people might have takes that I might be lazy or whatever, but every single time I’m on the floor, I want to play as hard as possible.
“I want to do whatever it takes to win a basketball game, whether it’s on offense, on defense,” Embiid continued. “I just want to play basketball, whether I’m good, physical, mentally, or whatever. I just want to enjoy these moments, just being part of a basketball team that’s trying to accomplish something, and that’s to win every single game.”
Embiid’s heart cannot be questioned. He has been knocked down time and time again, but keeps coming back.
Down 3-1, the 76ers desperately needed some Embiid magic here in Game 5, and he came through for his team. The 32-year-old had 33 points (12-23 FG), four rebounds, eight assists, and one block to power his team to victory.
At first, it didn’t look like we were going to get a vintage Embiid performance as he started off 1-7 from the field. The seven-time All-Star would get going after that, but the Celtics still managed to build up a 13-point lead in the third quarter.
The game was getting away from the 76ers at that point, but Embiid helped them turn things around. He had 10 points in the third and then another eight in the fourth to seal a double-digit comeback win.
“I pushed very hard to come back and try to help as much as I can,” Embiid said. “I’m glad we won today. I didn’t want to go home and think about it all summer of what could’ve been if I was healthy going into the playoffs. So one more day and one more game to go out and try to make it back here. That’s the mentality.
“I’m just thankful to be in a position where I get to play,” Embiid continued. “I don’t know how long I can do this, so I just want to enjoy as much as possible.”
It’s a pity how often injuries have bogged down Embiid. You wonder how much more he could have achieved had he not suffered one injury after another over the course of his career.
Embiid has especially had rotten luck in the playoffs. It was an orbital fracture in 2018, illness and knee tendinities in 2019, a meniscus tear in 2021, a torn thumb ligament, orbital fracture, and concussion in 2022, a knee sprain in 2023, and Bell’s palsy in 2024.
That is just brutal. It has been claimed that Embiid’s not being in great shape is the reason why he often gets injured, but a lot of that is just bad luck. There isn’t much he could have done.
It was more misfortune this time around as well for Embiid, as he was diagnosed with appendicitis weeks before the playoffs. It appeared he could miss the entire first-round series against the Celtics, but he returned to action in Game 4, just 17 days after undergoing surgery.
Embiid had 26 points in the 128-96 defeat in Philadelphia on Sunday, and it looked like his return wasn’t going to matter much. It sure has, though.
Game 6 tips off at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. It will take another Embiid masterclass if the 76ers are to tie this series at 3-3.
