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

Key facts

• Philadelphia 76ers beat Boston Celtics 109-100 in Game 7, completing the 14th 3-1 comeback in NBA playoff history.
• Joel Embiid scored 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists; Tyrese Maxey added 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists.
• Celtics played without Jayson Tatum (knee stiffness); Jaylen Brown scored 33 points, Derrick White 26.
• Sixers advance to face New York Knicks in second round starting Monday at Madison Square Garden.
• Philadelphia had lost 18 consecutive series when trailing 3-1; Boston had been 32-0 when leading 3-1.
• Embiid became first player in NBA history to score at least 100 points in a series despite missing first three games (appendectomy).
• Rookie VJ Edgecombe contributed 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 three-pointers in 43 minutes.

Historic collapse in Boston

The Boston Celtics’ championship aspirations evaporated into the TD Garden rafters on Saturday night as they fell 109-100 to the Philadelphia 76ers in a devastating Game 7. After building a 3-1 series lead, Boston became the latest victim of a historic collapse, allowing Philadelphia to erase a three-game deficit for the first time in the franchise’s history. The Celtics entered the game without superstar Jayson Tatum, sidelined with knee stiffness, and coach Joe Mazzulla deployed a starting lineup that had never played together during the regular season. The undermanned team fought back from an 18-point second-half deficit to within striking distance late in the fourth quarter, but a scoring drought — 10 consecutive missed shots in the final five minutes — sealed their fate. Only five Boston players scored, and none of the other three starters — Baylor Scheierman, Ron Harper Jr., and Luka Garza — registered a point. The lack of depth proved fatal against a Sixers team that had found its rhythm at the perfect moment.

Embiid and Maxey deliver legacy-defining performance

Joel Embiid delivered a performance that will reshape his postseason legacy, scoring a game-high 34 points on 12-for-26 shooting, grabbing 12 rebounds, and dishing six assists. He played through multiple injury scares — including a collision with Tyrese Maxey that sent him to the locker room in the fourth quarter — and returned with a wrap around his midsection to finish with 39 minutes on the court. Maxey was equally relentless, pouring in 30 points on 11-for-20 shooting with 11 rebounds and seven assists in 45 minutes. He iced the game with several clutch buckets, scoring eight of Philadelphia’s last 10 points while the Celtics went cold. Together, Embiid and Maxey became the third duo in NBA history to post dual 30-point, 10-rebound Game 7s on the road, joining Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in 2002. Rookie VJ Edgecombe provided essential support with 23 points on 8-for-17 shooting, including five three-pointers, along with six rebounds and four assists in 43 minutes. Paul George, listed as questionable due to illness, contributed 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting and played strong defense.

Celtics’ valiant effort falls short

Jaylen Brown led Boston with 33 points on 12-for-27 shooting, and Derrick White added 26 points in 45 minutes, but both struggled from deep — Brown and the Celtics as a team shot 13 for 49 from three-point range. White did the vast majority of his damage in the first half, shooting 9 for 27 overall and 5 for 16 from beyond the arc. Without Tatum, Boston’s offense became dangerously top-heavy. The Celtics’ season, defined by remarkable resilience — Tatum’s return from a torn Achilles in under 300 days and Brown’s career-best campaign — ended in jarring fashion. Boston had secured the No. 2 seed in the East and entered the playoffs with championship expectations, but a first-round exit represents their earliest playoff departure since 2021. “Joel Embiid was flopping around,” Brown said after the game, reflecting the frustration of a team that saw its 3-1 lead evaporate.

A comeback that defies NBA history

Philadelphia’s victory rewrites multiple historical records. Before Saturday, the Celtics were 32-0 in series where they took a 3-1 lead — the most wins without a loss of any team. The Sixers, conversely, were 0-18 in series where they trailed 3-1, the most losses without a win of any team. This comeback is the 14th in NBA playoff history. The Sixers also became the first No. 7 seed to beat a No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference since the first round expanded to best-of-seven in 2003. It marks Philadelphia’s first playoff series win since 2023 and ends a 44-year drought against Boston — the last time the Sixers beat the Celtics in a postseason series was 1982. The Embiid-era Sixers had been 0-3 in series against Boston and 0-3 in Game 7s before Saturday. Embiid, who admitted after Game 6 that he was “tired of losing” to the Celtics, became the first player in NBA history to score at least 100 points in a series despite missing the first three games. He had been sidelined since early April due to an emergency appendectomy and did not return until Game 4.

What comes next: Sixers face Knicks in second round

The 76ers will now travel to New York to face the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with Game 1 scheduled for Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks, who swept their first-round series, will be well-rested as Philadelphia looks to continue its improbable run. For Boston, the offseason begins with difficult questions. Tatum’s injury, the team’s inability to close out a series after taking a 3-1 lead, and the offensive limitations exposed in Game 7 will loom large. The Celtics’ core remains talented, but the sting of this collapse — the first time a team with a 3-1 lead has lost in Boston — will be hard to shake. Embiid, meanwhile, has silenced critics — at least for now. The narrative that he could not win a Game 7 or beat the Celtics in the playoffs has been overturned. But the ultimate test awaits against a Knicks team that has already proven its mettle this postseason.

The bottom line

• Philadelphia 76ers became the 14th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit, and the first No. 7 seed to beat a No. 2 seed in the East since 2003.
• Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey posted historic dual 30-point, 10-rebound Game 7s on the road, a feat previously achieved only by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
• Boston Celtics, missing Jayson Tatum, saw their 32-0 record when leading a series 3-1 end, and suffered their earliest playoff exit since 2021.
• Embiid became the first player in NBA history to score at least 100 points in a series after missing the first three games, returning from an emergency appendectomy.
• The Sixers advance to face the New York Knicks in the second round, beginning Monday at Madison Square Garden.
• The loss marks a jarring end to a Celtics season defined by Tatum’s return from a torn Achilles and Jaylen Brown’s career-best campaign.