Sixers 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 night.
• The Sixers are the 14th team in NBA history to win a playoff series after trailing 3-1.
• Joel Embiid scored 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists; Tyrese Maxey had 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists.
• Rookie VJ Edgecombe added 23 points on 8-for-17 shooting, including 5 three-pointers.
• Boston's Jayson Tatum missed the game due to a left leg injury; the Celtics shot 13-for-49 from three-point range.
• The Celtics had never lost a series after leading 3-1 (previously 32-0); the Sixers had never won a series after trailing 3-1 (previously 0-18).
• Philadelphia is 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.
• The Sixers will face the New York Knicks in the second round, starting Monday at Madison Square Garden.

A historic collapse and a long-awaited breakthrough

The Boston Celtics had never lost a playoff series after taking a 3-1 lead. The Philadelphia 76ers had never won a series after falling behind 3-1. Both streaks ended on Saturday night at TD Garden, where the Sixers completed a stunning 109-100 victory in Game 7, advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since 2023. For Philadelphia, the win marks the 14th 3-1 comeback in NBA playoff history and its first series victory over Boston since 1982. The Celtics, who won 56 games during the regular season and secured the No. 2 seed, saw their campaign end abruptly — their earliest playoff exit since 2021.

Embiid and Maxey deliver historic performance

Joel Embiid scored a game-high 34 points on 12-for-26 shooting, adding 12 rebounds and six assists while playing through multiple collisions to his knee. He briefly went to the locker room after one such collision but returned with a wrap around his midsection and finished 39 minutes on the floor. Tyrese Maxey contributed 30 points on 11-for-20 shooting, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in 45 minutes. He iced the game with several clutch baskets late in the fourth quarter, scoring eight of the Sixers' final 10 points. Together, Embiid and Maxey became the third duo in NBA history to post dual 30-point, 10-rebound games in a Game 7 on the road, joining Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant (2002).

Tatum's absence and Boston's offensive struggles

The Celtics were dealt a major blow before tipoff when star forward Jayson Tatum was ruled out with a left leg injury — described as knee stiffness, though many observers noted he appeared to injure his calf in Game 6. Tatum had returned this season from an Achilles tear just 298 days prior, averaging 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 16 regular-season games. Without him, coach Joe Mazzulla deployed a starting lineup of Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, Ron Harper Jr., Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White — a combination that had never played together in the regular season. The trio of Scheierman, Harper, and Luka Garza combined for zero points in 53 minutes. As a team, Boston shot 13-for-49 from three-point range, including a stretch of 10 consecutive missed shots in the final five minutes after cutting the deficit to 99-98.

Philadelphia's resilience and historical context

The Sixers entered Game 7 having lost all three previous Game 7s during the Embiid era and having lost their last six playoff series against Boston. Embiid, who missed the first three games of the series due to an emergency appendectomy, became the first player in NBA history to score at least 100 points in a series despite missing the first three games. Philadelphia's comeback also bucks broader historical trends: the Celtics were 32-0 in series where they held a 3-1 lead, while the Sixers were 0-18 when trailing 3-1. The Sixers are the first No. 7 seed to eliminate a No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference since the first round expanded to a best-of-seven format in 2003.

What comes next: Sixers face Knicks in second round

The Sixers will travel to New York to face the Knicks in the second round, with Game 1 scheduled for Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The series represents a fresh challenge for Philadelphia, which has not advanced beyond the second round since 2001. For Boston, the offseason begins with questions about a recurring pattern of playoff disappointments. The Celtics have now seen their season end in a series where they held a 3-1 lead for the first time in franchise history, and Tatum has been injured during the playoff series that ended Boston's season in three of the past four years.

The bottom line

• Philadelphia completed the 14th 3-1 comeback in NBA playoff history, ending Boston's perfect record in such situations (32-0).
• Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each posted 30-point, 10-rebound double-doubles in Game 7, a feat achieved only once before by a duo on the road.
• Jayson Tatum's absence due to a leg injury exposed Boston's lack of depth; three Celtics starters failed to score a single point.
• The Sixers 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.
• Philadelphia will face the New York Knicks in the second round beginning Monday, marking the Sixers' first series win since 2023.