The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 109-100 in a Game 7 victory on Saturday, clinching the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. The win marks the first time in franchise history that Philadelphia has overcome a 3-1 series deficit, a feat achieved only 14 times in NBA history, according to Al Jazeera.
By winning the series, the 76ers broke a 39-year playoff curse against Boston. According to BioBioChile, Philadelphia had not won a playoff series against the Celtics since the Eastern Conference Finals in 1982, having lost all six subsequent matchups between the two teams.
Joel Embiid led Philadelphia with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, according to both Al Jazeera and BioBioChile. Tyrese Maxey contributed 30 points and 11 rebounds, taking control during the game's closing moments.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla noted that Embiid's return fundamentally altered the series. Embiid had not played since April 6, when he required an emergency appendectomy during a team trip through Texas, according to Al Jazeera.
The Celtics entered the deciding game without Jayson Tatum, who was ruled out due to stiffness in his left knee. Al Jazeera reported that Tatum had averaged 23.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per contest during this playoff run, following a recovery from a ruptured right Achilles tendon sustained last May.
Boston's Jaylen Brown attempted to keep the Celtics in contention with 33 points and nine rebounds. Derrick White added 26 points, while rookie Neemias Queta recorded 17 points and a team-high 12 rebounds, according to Al Jazeera.
The game swung late in the fourth quarter when the Celtics trailed 99-98 following two free throws by Queta. Maxey then scored eight consecutive points to extend the Philadelphia lead to 107-98 with just 15 seconds remaining, according to Al Jazeera.
BioBioChile reported that in the final moments, Neemias Queta, Jaylen Brown, and Payton Pritchard all missed shots that could have given Boston the lead. Maxey responded by hitting two baskets and converting four consecutive free throws to secure the win.
Philadelphia's rookie VJ Edgecombe provided a significant boost with 23 points, while Paul George added 13, according to both sources. The 76ers’ bench contributed a total of three points, all scored by Quentin Grimes, per Al Jazeera.
76ers coach Nick Nurse credited his team's ability to handle the environment. "We handled playing [in a hostile environment] just enough, but I think it was really good for us to experience it," Nurse said, according to Al Jazeera.
Philadelphia now advances to the second round, where they are scheduled to face the third-seeded New York Knicks. The first game of that series is set for Monday, according to Al Jazeera.
