East Conf. Semifinals: Philadelphia 76ers 101-117 Boston Celtics - 5 Talking Points

#1 Battle of the All-Star bigs does not disappoint

Both Horford and Embiid were dominant

One of the most lip-smacking matchups remaining in the playoffs is the battle for interior dominance between 2 All-Star frontcourt players in Horford and Embiid. Both of them brought their A-game to the table on the night and were a huge part of whatever their teams got right in the game.

Embiid led all scorers with 31 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the field, 2-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc and 5-of-6 from the line. His defensive awareness and ability to contest layups caused huge problems for the likes of Marcus Smart and Marcus Morris. Embiid also snagged 13 rebounds and dished out 5 dimes to round out a return to form for the Cameroonian, and he'll be disappointed that he didn't get enough support from his team.

The big from the Dominican Republic, on the other hand, will have no such complaints from his teammates. Al Horford continued in this game where he left off in game 7 of the first round series against the Bucks and finished with 26 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. He played some lockdown defense on both Simmons and Embiid and looked every bit equal to that daunting task.

This matchup promises to bring more joy to fans in coming games.