Joel Embiid’s 33 down Celtics in Game 5 to keep the 76ers alive

boston — Joel Embiid scored 33 points, Tyrese Maxey Had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Philadelphia 76ers Avoid elimination, beat Boston Celtics 113-97 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series Tuesday night.

Paul George He had 16 points and nine rebounds for the seventh-seeded Sixers, who lost Games 3 and 4 in the series before coming back to Boston to keep their season alive.

Game 6 is back in Philadelphia on Thursday night, while the Sixers will try to force the series to a decisive seventh game in Boston on Saturday.

In his second game back from an emergency appendectomy, Embiid helped Philly overcome a 13-point, third-quarter deficit. After scoring 13 points in the second quarter, he added 10 in the third as the Sixers went on a 12-0 run to turn a three-point lead into a 15-point run.

Boston was eventually outscored by 17 in the fourth quarter after missing their last 14 field goal attempts — the most to end a playoff game since 2005, according to ESPN Research.

Jason Tatum Had 24 points and 16 rebounds for Boston and Jaylen Brown 22 runs scored.

Earlier Tuesday, Celtics president Brad Stevens was named NBA Executive of the Year for the second time in three seasons after dismantling the team that won it two years ago and returning Boston to No. 2 in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics did it despite Tatum missing all but 16 regular-season games as he recovered from a torn Achilles tendon.

The Sixers missed the playoffs seven times in the postseason last year, but earned the No. 7 seed this year with a win over Orlando in the play-in game. They cruised to a win in Boston in Game 2, but then lost both at home to find themselves on the brink of elimination.

The Celtics led by 11 in the second quarter and held a 13-point lead early in the third quarter. Both times Philadelphia rallied within a basket, using a 15-3 run to make it 66-65 Boston midway through the third.

It was still a one-point Celtics lead going into the fourth, when George hit a 3-pointer to give Philly its first lead of the first quarter. After a pair Sam Houser 3-pointers kept Boston close, Houser fouled out Quentin Grimes He was shooting a 3; Three free throws started the Sixers on a game-ending 19-5 run.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.