Joel Embiid is on the cusp of doing something he’s never done before in his career: play in the Conference Finals.
The Philadelphia 76ers raced to a 3-2 series lead after taking apart the Boston Celtics, 115-103, in Game 5. Embiid had 33 points – his third straight 30-point game – to go along with seven rebounds, three assists, and four blocks.
Since “The Process” entered the playoffs in 2018, the Sixers have lost in the Conference Semis four times and once in the first round. Whether it was injuries, bad luck, having an inexperienced team, stronger opponents, or a combination of all these, Embiid has yet to put together a deep playoff run.
Legends are born in the postseason and Embiid hasn’t made a significant mark at this time of the year. This season as the league MVP, he can rewrite the narrative and give his team a chance to be one step away from being in the NBA Finals.
A knee injury threatened to derail another playoff run this year, but Embiid has remained resilient. Even though the Sixers lost the first two games when he returned as the Celtics built a 2-1 lead, you could see him slowly get into shape and getting stronger. After scoring just 15 points in Game 2, he followed it up with 30 points and 13 rebounds the game after. He then collected 34 points and 13 boards in 46 minutes in the thrilling overtime win.
By Game 5, the knee brace was off and Embiid played loose and active. He dropped 21 points in the first half as the Sixers set the tone of the ball game. He even had a huge chasedown block on Jaylen Brown in the fourth quarter.
It was a huge bounce-back performance for the MVP after being criticized for how he performed toward the end of Game 4. He looked tentative and shaken in the fourth quarter and overtime as Al Horford was all over him. In Game 5, he was able to establish his dominance early.
Embiid, together with the playmaking of James Harden and timely shots of Tyrese Maxey, shredded the Boston defense. Every pick-and-roll was a pick-your-poison moment for the Celtics. It also didn’t help that they played poor drop coverage and gave Embiid all the room to shoot or make a play.
For Philadelphia, everything starts with Embiid. It’s not rocket science. If he plays well, particularly if he plays aggressively, the Sixers are in a good position to win. Maxey said it best postgame:
“[When] he’s leading by example, you have to raise your level of intensity. If your leader, your best player, is working his tail off and being aggressive and going out there and performing every single night, you have to fall in line. I think this team we know that and we have done that pretty well.”
And Embiid can dictate the game on both ends. He doesn’t need to shoot 30 times or demand the ball every time down the floor. Oftentimes, he simply has to be involved in the play like setting a screen to keep the opposing defense on its toes. And on the other end, we all know how he can control a possession just by his presence in the middle.
Now all the pressure is on the Celtics to force a Game 7 on the road. There are a ton of questions about how they’ll plan to topple the Sixers. Will they change their defensive game plan? How will they counter Philadelphia’s pick-and-roll game? Are they asking too much from Jayson Tatum and Brown? What does it say about their season if they lose in the second round? And at the center of their worries is how they plan to slow down Joel Embiid.
The series isn’t over but Embiid has a golden opportunity to lead the Sixers to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. That team was also led by another MVP in Allen Iverson. If Embiid can finally enter the next round of the playoffs, he can further cement his status as this season’s best player.
