Joel Embiid hit 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 play-off elimination.
Embiid scored 33 points and Tyrese Maxey contributed 30 for Philadelphia, which leads 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 is 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 postseason streak of consecutive 30-point games in franchise history than Embiid’s current streak.
The 76ers can secure victory in Philadelphia on Thursday. If they did, they would reach the conference finals for the first time since 2001.
Jayson Tatum led Boston with 36 points, Jaylen Brown adding 24, but the 76ers never trailed after the first quarter as they improved to 4-1 on the road in the playoffs.
During this time, the Denver nuggets beat the Phoenix Suns 118-102 to go 3-2 in their Western Conference semifinal.
Nikola Jokic finished the game with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists at Pheonix, while Bruce Brown scored 25 more points off the bench to leave the Nuggets one victory away from the Finals.
This triple double from Jokic was the 10th of his career in the playoffs – giving him the best by a center in NBA history.
Jokic avoided a suspension after an incident involving Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia on Sunday, instead being fined $25,000 (£19,818) for unsportsmanlike technical foulafter the Serb pushed Ishbia as he tried to win the ball from the front line.
Denver pulled away in the fourth quarter and built a 104-80 lead on their way to victory against the Suns, for whom Devin Booker and Kevin Durant responded with 28 and 26 points, respectively.
