Down 3-1 in the first-round series and staring at another early exit, the Philadelphia 76ers flipped the script with a 109-100 Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Saturday night. Joel Embiid controlled the paint while Tyrese Maxey and rookie V.J. Edgecombe delivered timely buckets to push Philly into the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Embiid, Maxey Take Over
Joel Embiid piled up 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, and Tyrese Maxey went for 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in the clincher, according to The Associated Press via the Houston Chronicle. V.J. Edgecombe added 23 points and Paul George chipped in 13. On the other side, Jaylen Brown led Boston with 33 points. The Celtics misfired from deep, going 13 of 49 from three, even as Derrick White managed 26 points and knocked down five triples.
Historic Rally And Next Stop: New York
Philadelphia became just the 14th team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit and secured its first playoff series win over Boston since 1982, per the league’s recap on NBA.com. The Sixers now head to New York to face the No. 3 Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday, according to the same recap. The win also snapped an 0-18 franchise record in series where Philadelphia had trailed 3-1, underscoring just how unlikely this turnaround looked until the final horn.
Celtics Sent Home Early
Boston’s outside shooting dried up late, and Philadelphia’s muscle in the lane ultimately decided the night, sending the Celtics into an abrupt offseason. Local coverage captured the fan reaction and a clear sense of relief in Philadelphia after the series was closed out, as reported by 6abc.
