76ers complete historic 3-1 comeback, oust Celtics 109-100 in Game 7

Key facts

• Philadelphia 76ers beat Boston Celtics 109-100 in Game 7 on Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Boston.
• The Sixers are the 14th team in NBA history to win a playoff series after trailing 3-1.
• Boston had been 32-0 in series when leading 3-1; Philadelphia had been 0-18 when trailing 3-1.
• Joel Embiid scored 34 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists; Tyrese Maxey added 30 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists.
• Embiid became first player in NBA history to score 100 points in a series despite missing the first three games.
• Celtics star Jayson Tatum missed Game 7 due to knee stiffness; Boston shot 13-of-49 from three-point range.
• Philadelphia, the No. 7 seed, will face No. 3 New York Knicks in Game 1 on Monday at Madison Square Garden.

A comeback for the ages

The Philadelphia 76ers completed the 14th 3-1 comeback in NBA playoff history on Saturday night, defeating the Boston Celtics 109-100 in Game 7 at TD Garden. The victory propels the No. 7 seed into the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks, with Game 1 set for Monday at Madison Square Garden. The series reversal was historic on multiple fronts. Before Saturday, the Celtics had never lost a series after taking a 3-1 lead, holding a 32-0 record. The Sixers, conversely, had lost all 18 series in which they trailed 3-1, the most such losses without a win for any team. Philadelphia also became the first No. 7 seed to beat a No. 2 seed in the East since the first round expanded to best-of-seven in 2003.

Embiid and Maxey deliver in the clutch

Joel Embiid led the way with a game-high 34 points on 12-of-26 shooting, adding 12 rebounds and six assists. He played through multiple collisions to his knee, including a late fourth-quarter incident when Tyrese Maxey fell into his legs, and briefly went to the locker room before returning with a wrap around his midsection. Embiid logged 39 minutes and presented problems the Celtics could not solve. Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting, with 11 rebounds and seven assists in 45 minutes. He iced the game by scoring eight of the Sixers' final 10 points in the fourth quarter, during which the Celtics missed 10 straight shots over the final five minutes. Rookie VJ Edgecombe contributed 23 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Paul George added 13 points despite being listed as questionable due to illness.

Celtics falter without Tatum and from deep

Boston played without star Jayson Tatum, who was sidelined with knee stiffness. Jaylen Brown scored a team-high 33 points on 12-of-27 shooting, but the Celtics shot just 13-of-49 from three-point range, including six consecutive misses in crunch time. Derrick White added 26 points but shot 9-of-27 overall and 5-of-16 from deep, doing most of his damage in the first half before going cold late. The Celtics ranked eighth in the NBA at 36.7 percent from three during the regular season, but they shot below 30 percent in three of their four losses: Game 2 (13-of-50), Game 5 (11-of-39), Game 6 (12-of-41), and Game 7 (13-of-47). Brown was held under his season average of 28.7 points in five of the first six games, and he had only two assists and one rebound in Game 6.

Embiid's personal redemption

No player had more riding on this game than Embiid, who admitted after Game 6 that he was 'tired of losing' to the Celtics. Before Saturday, the Embiid-led Sixers were 0-3 in playoff series against Boston, and Philadelphia had not beaten the Celtics in a postseason series since 1982. Embiid also faced scrutiny over his postseason history, making the stakes especially high. Embiid returned from an emergency appendectomy in early April, debuting in Game 4 of the series. He became the first player in NBA history to score at least 100 points in a playoff series despite missing the first three games. He and Maxey are the third duo in league history to each have 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a Game 7, joining Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant in 2002.

What comes next for both teams

The Sixers advance to face the New York Knicks in the second round, with Game 1 on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. Philadelphia improved to 2-10 in road Game 7s in franchise history, with its only other win coming in 1982 at the Boston Garden. The Sixers are seeking their first playoff series win since 2023. For the Celtics, a 56-win season ends in stunning disappointment. Boston had been the odds-on favorite to win the Eastern Conference after the Detroit Pistons' slow start, but they could not overcome their shooting woes or the absence of Tatum. The loss marks the first time the Celtics have blown a 3-1 series lead in franchise history.

The bottom line

• Philadelphia completed the 14th 3-1 comeback in NBA playoff history, and the first for a No. 7 seed over a No. 2 seed in the East since 2003.
• Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey joined Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant as the only duos with 30-point, 10-rebound Game 7s on the road.
• Embiid became the first player to score 100 points in a series after missing the first three games, following his appendectomy.
• Boston's 3-point shooting collapsed, hitting below 30 percent in three of four losses, including 13-of-49 in Game 7.
• The Celtics were without Jayson Tatum due to knee stiffness, and Jaylen Brown struggled to create offense when his shot wasn't falling.
• Philadelphia will face the New York Knicks in the second round starting Monday at Madison Square Garden.