Magic Johnson Sends Message After 76ers' Game 5 Win Over Celtics

The Philadelphia 76ers silenced the doubters after their 113-97 win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. They have kept their season alive and will travel back to Philly for Game 6. Their mission on Thursday will be to extend the series and force a Game 7.

After the 76ers' performance in Game 4, many started to write them off. The Celtics had a dominant 128-96 win, which put pressure on Joel Embiid and his crew. However, Embiid rose to the occasion and was unstoppable last night. He had 33 points, four rebounds and eight assists, including 18 in the second half.

Magic Johnson Apologized to the 76ers

One of the people who wrote the 76ers off was former NBA star Magic Johnson. After the win, the Hall of Fame player issued an apology on X and said that he was impressed with how the team fought.

"I have to apologize to the Philadelphia 76ers for thinking the Series was over after Game 4," Magic wrote. "Tonight, the 76ers beat the Celtics and were led by the dominant inside play of Joel Embiid - he had 33 points and 8 assists!"

"He had plenty of help from Tyrese Maxey's 25 points, Paul George's 16 points and Quentin Grimes' 18 points off the bench which included four 3's! Grimes also played solid on the defensive end which helped the 76ers beat the Celtics 113-97!"

Johnson also credited the work that head coach Nick Nurse did against the Celtics.

"My hat goes off to 76ers Coach Nick Nurse, who had an awesome game plan and had his team believing that they could beat the Celtics on the road in Boston!"

I have to apologize to the Philadelphia 76ers for thinking the Series was over after Game 4. Tonight, the 76ers beat the Celtics and were led by the dominant inside play of Joel Embiid - he had 33 points and 8 assists! He had plenty of help from Tyrese Maxey's 25 points, Paul…

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 29, 2026

After the game, All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey credited Embiid for his strong performance. Maxey told reporters that the star center had a "dominant" performance and asserted himself on offense. Even Celtics star Jayson Tatum couldn't help but appreciate the performance from his conference rival.

"Give him credit, he played well," Tatum said. "He put a lot of pressure on us, especially on the defensive end."

In Game 5, the 76ers had a more efficient night shooting from long range. Embiid and his team made 35.7% of their attempts from deep. The Celtics, meanwhile, only made 28.2% of their shots. Additionally, Boston struggled to find their rhythm in the fourth quarter and only had 11 points. Lastly, the No. 2 seed team missed its last 16 shots.

Related: Jayson Tatum Gives Credit to Joel Embiid After Celtics-76ers Game 5

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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 11:59 PM.