Los Angeles (AFP)
The Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets are a win away from reaching the finals of the Eastern and Arab regions, respectively, after they beat the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns 3-2 in the second-round series of the “Playoff” NBA.
At the “TD Garden” stadium, Cameroonian giant Joel Embiid starred in the Celtics’ stronghold and led the Sixers to a 115-103 victory, by scoring 33 points, in a match that reached the difference during its last quarter to 21 points in favor of the guests, who can decide the series, when they host the sixth match.
However, if the scenario of the third match, which the Siskers lost 102-114 among its fans, is repeated, the decision will be postponed to a decisive seventh confrontation on the land of the legendary green team.
Realizing that depriving the Celtics of reaching the regional final for the second season in a row will not be easy, Embiid stressed that “things are not over, and we have to win another match,” in order to qualify for the region’s final for the first time, since the 2000-2001 season, when the Sixers arrived. To the league final led by coach Larry Brown and legend Allen Iverson before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Embiid reached thirty points or more for the third consecutive match in this series, and he had effective support from Tyrese Maxi and James Harden, as the first scored 30 points as well, including 6 triples, and the second 17 with 10 assists and 8 rebounds.
In Colorado, Serbian giant Nikola Jokic returned the advantage to his team, Denver, in its series with its guest Suns, and led it to a 3-2 lead, beating the latter 118-102.
Jokic achieved three double figures, “Triple Double”, after scoring 29 points with 13 rebounds and 12 assists, thus entering the history of the league, after he equaled the number of legend Wilt Chamberlain, in terms of the number of “Triple Double” for a pivotal player in the “Playoff” ( 10 times).
As usual since the beginning of this series, each team emerged victorious at home, and thus the Suns seek to equalize, and to postpone the decision to a decisive seventh match, when it hosts the sixth confrontation.