Author: Monojit Mandal
The Philadelphia 76ers put in a strong performance, edging closer to a series win against the Celtics in the NBA playoffs. The Sixers silenced their fans with a 115-103 win in Boston, led by an unbelievable display from the NBA’s most valuable athlete, Joel Embiid.
The win gives the Sixers a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, putting them in position to advance to the Eastern Conference finals if they can secure game six in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the top-ranked Denver Nuggets took control of the Western Conference series against the Suns. The Nuggets put in a dominant effort, beating the Suns 118-102 in Denver.
Denver’s star player, Nikola Jokic, recorded a triple-double and contributed 29 points to the team’s victory. With a 3-2 lead in the series, the Nuggets will travel to Arizona for game six on Thursday, where they will try to clinch a spot in the conference finals.
76ers dominate Celtics to take series lead
76ers 115-103 Celtics
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After their show of strength in game five, the Sixers will face their next clash with the Celtics with confidence. Philadelphia’s offense was well balanced, with five players scoring in double figures, led by Joel Embiid. Tyrese Maxey was particularly outstanding, scoring 30 points for the Celtics, including six three-pointers. With 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, point guard James Harden also had a good game.
Coach Rivers, praised Harden’s performance, saying he was a persistent thorn in the Celtics’ side. On the other hand, Boston coach Mazzulla lamented what he said was his team’s underperformance in the post-season.
After the Sixers took a 14-point lead in the second quarter, the Celtics struggled to recover. Despite reducing the lead to 9 match-points at the break, Boston couldn’t hold the pressure during the game. The Sixers managed to keep the Celtics at bay, leading by double digits in the second half.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics in scoring with 36 points, while Jaylen Brown contributed 24.
Nuggets beat Suns to take dominant lead in series
Suns 102-118 Nuggets
The Nuggets took control early on, scoring 35 points. Although Phoenix briefly regained the lead in the final minutes of the first half, Denver took a 52-49 lead into the break.
In the second half, the Nuggets came out firing, going on a 21-6 run to take a dominant 73-55 lead. They outscored the Suns 39-25 in the third quarter to maintain their lead. Denver ended up building a lead of up to 24 points in the fourth quarter, prompting Phoenix coach Monty Williams to pull his players from the game before the end.
Jokic led the Nuggets in scoring with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, while Michael Porter Jr. scored 19 points, 5 of which were three-pointers. Booker led the Suns with 28 points, while Kevin Durant added 26.
Nuggets coach Malone blamed his team’s inspiring win on their improved defensive play, which put them on the brink of a spot in the conference finals.