76ers' Tyrese Maxey Makes Blunt Admission After Game 5 Win
Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers kept their first-round playoff series alive with a 113–97 win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. The 76ers had trailed 3–1 before the crucial road victory and now return home looking to even the series.
Maxey continued his strong form, finishing with 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block while shooting 10-for-18 from the field and 3-for-10 from three. He was well supported by fellow stars Paul George and Joel Embiid, with the latter leading all scorers with 33 points.
Embiid was particularly dominant in the second half, helping Philadelphia erase a 13-point deficit in the third quarter before they outscored Boston 28–11 in the final period to cut the series deficit to 3–2.
Speaking about Game 6, Maxey made it clear the team owes its fans a better performance at home.
"Our fans deserve a win at home. After that performance that we put on last time in front of our fans that was a disgrace and it was unacceptable," he said.
"Our fans deserve a win at home… After that performance that we put on last time in front of our fans that was a disgrace & it was unacceptable."
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) April 29, 2026
~ Tyrese Maxey heading into game 6 pic.twitter.com/sOpsUOpONs
Philadelphia had returned home with the series tied 1–1, giving them a prime opportunity to take control. Instead, the 76ers dropped back-to-back games, including a blowout loss in Game 4.
Rebounding has been a key issue for the Sixers throughout the series, with Boston holding a clear edge. The Celtics outrebounded Philadelphia 51–30 in Game 4, but the gap narrowed significantly in Game 5, with the Sixers finishing just three boards shy of Boston's total of 54.
"It'll take everything we got," Maxey said about what it would take to win Game 6. "It takes a collective performance offensively and defensively. We definitely will try to lean on our fans. They'll definitely be there, and they'll definitely be rowdy, and they'll definitely be cheering. So we appreciate them for that. But it's going to take even more of our effort than it did tonight."
Boston struggled mightily in the second half on Tuesday, missing their final 14 field-goal attempts, a slump that ultimately sealed their loss. However, the chances that Celtics will endure a stretch like that again are low and the 76ers will need another complete performance to remain alive.
Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 5:00 AM.