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James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers were confident about Tyrese Maxey shaking off his struggles against the Boston Celtics. Maxey stepped up big time for the 76ers in their Game 5 win on the road against Boston, helping his team take a commanding 3-2 series lead to Philly.
Maxey tallied 30 points on 47.6% shooting, including 6-of-12 from deep. He also had seven rebounds and three assists.
Here's what Harden said about Maxey's turnaround:
"He hasn't really shot the ball well or scored the ball well this series. We knew he was gonna turnaround, just because he puts the work in and tonight was his game."
Entering Tuesday's Game 5 contest, Tyrese Maxey had averaged 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists, shooting a measly 36.6%, including 28.6% from deep in this series.
The Philadelphia 76ers need a team effort rather than individual contributions from their superstars, Joel Embiid and James Harden, to seal this series. Boston has done an excellent job containing the Sixers' one-two punch, leaving the others open.
So far, the Sixers didn't get the contributions they needed from others, but Game 5 was a different story. Tyrese Maxey's form has improved at a crucial stage. The Sixers are now in a commanding position to prevail against Boston
Game 6 will be in Philadelphia, giving the 76ers a legitimate shot at closing the series and making their first Conference Finals appearance since 2001.
Tyrese Maxey's consistency could be key in James Harden and co. making a Finals run
The Philadelphia 76ers have put themselves back into the mix for making a Finals appearance. There were doubts about their ability to make it past the reigning Eastern Conference champions, the Boston Celtics. However, the 76ers have played some gritty basketball to take a commanding 3-2 series lead.
James Harden has dropped multiple 40-point games. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid has shut down injury concerns after missing Game 1, dropping three consecutive 30-point outings since. Tyrese Maxey's turnaround was the only thing left for the Sixers to warrant the tag as a legitimate finals contender.
Their dominant Game 5 win at the TD Garden has further improved their odds. Unlike their Game 1 win on the road without Embiid, which was a close encounter, the 76ers dominated the Celtics in Tuesday's contest. Doc Rivers' men got off to a fast start, taking a 42-27 lead early in the second quarter.
They only built on that advantage, taking a 21-point lead at one stage in the second half. The Sixers were excellent on both ends, shooting 50.6% overall while limiting their opponents to 39.8% field goal shooting.
Philly gained a 49-36 advantage on the board and 15-5 on fastbreak points, courtesy of their excellent defensive performance.
