Joel Embiid reached 30 points for a third straight game as the Philadelphia 76ers won 115-103 at the Boston Celtics to leave the defending Eastern Conference champions on the brink of elimination from the play-offs.
Embiid scored 33 points and Tyrese Maxey contributed 30 for Philadelphia, who lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.
“It’s not over. We have to get one more. We have to show up,” Embiid said.
“What we did tonight, it’s easier said than done, but we have to do it again.”
Only Allen Iverson (five in 2001) and Wilt Chamberlain (four in 1965) have had a longer post-season run of consecutive 30-point games in franchise history than Embiid’s current streak.
The 76ers can secure victory in Philadelphia on Thursday. Should they do so, they would reach the conference finals for the first time since 2001.
Jayson Tatum led Boston’s scoring with 36 points, with Jaylen Brown adding 24, but the 76ers never trailed after the first quarter as they improved to 4-1 on the road in the post-season.
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets beat the Phoenix Suns 118-102 to move 3-2 up in their Western Conference semi-final.
Nikola Jokic ended the game with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in Pheonix, while Bruce Brown scored a further 25 points off the bench to leave the Nuggets one win from the finals.
That triple double by Jokic was the 10th of his career in the play-offs – giving him the outright most by a centre in NBA history.
Jokic avoided a suspension after an incident involving the Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia on Sunday, instead fined $25,000 (£19,818) for an unsportsmanlike technical foul, after the Serb pushed Ishbia as he tried to get the ball back from the front row.
Denver moved clear in the fourth quarter and established a 104-80 lead on their way to victory over the Suns, for whom Devin Booker and Kevin Durant responded with 28 and 26 points respectively.
Source: BBC Sport
