“I just really wanted the ball,” said Maxey. “Early in the fourth, we went to Joel, and I just felt like it was time for me to step up and make a play.”
It’s been 44 years since the 76ers beat the Celtics in the postseason. This season, the drought has finally ended. And Phila snapped the unpleasant streak in style, overcoming a scary 3-1 deficit and securing a win in the do-or-die scenario. Game 7 was electrifying, keeping fans across the country on their toes. The underdog prevailed, edging the Celtics 109-100.
Philadelphia moved on to the second round, where it is currently battling the New York Knicks. Boston had to swallow a heartbreaking loss that cut their season short and burned every championship expectation. Fair to say, the seventh-seeded 76ers beating the second-seeded Celtics wasn’t on many people’s bingo card.
Nemesis no more
Philadelphia became just the 14th team in NBA history to rally from being down 3-1 in the series. For the organisation, it was only the second time in history that the team won a deciding Game 7. The 76ers had been waiting since 1982. Ironically, they beat the Boston Celtics on their home floor to advance to the NBA Finals 44 years ago.
The Celtics suffered a major blow just a few hours before tipoff, when Jayson Tatum was ruled out due to knee soreness. “He just came in today with knee discomfort,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said during his pregame media availability. “And we decided, the medical staff and myself, that he would not play.”
The absence of one of the league's biggest superstars doesn’t make Philadelphia’s success any less significant. Boston had multiple opportunities to close out the series, but could not overcome the resilient and poised 76ers. Philadelphia finally found a way to take down the giant. The team no longer has the Celtics curse.
Perfect balance
Philadelphia got off to a hot start in the deciding game, taking a quick 9-0 lead. They extended the cushion to 15 points in the first quarter, but the Celtics found their way back, regaining the lead in the second quarter. It was the only time in the game that Boston was on top. The 76ers closed the half on a scoring run, regained control, and never looked back.
Late in the third, Phila was up by 18 points. Powered by a loud, sellout crowd, Boston rallied back multiple times, cutting the deficit to a single point. With 5:02 remaining in the grand finale, it was 97-96. And when it seemed like the Celtics were about to take over and deal Philadelphia another devastating loss, they missed 10 consecutive shots.
Live by the three, die by the three. During the regular season, Boston ranked among the league’s best three-point shooting teams, hitting 36.7 percent from beyond the arc. The Celtics made 1,268 threes over 82 games - trailing only the Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Hornets. Boston averaged 42.1 attempts and 15.5 made threes per game.
For comparison, Philadelphia’s shooting percentage wasn’t that far off – the 76ers shot 34.9 percent from deep during the regular season. The difference was that they did it much more efficiently, attempting 35.3 triples per game and making 12.3. And those habits carried to the postseason, for both sides. The 76ers kept efficiency, took better looks, attacked the rim, and consistently used their interior presence. In the first round, Philadelphia attempted just 32.7 threes per game, proving it could score at all three levels.
Betrayed by the three-point line
The Celtics, meanwhile, continued to rely heavily on perimeter shooting - and it cost them, as their accuracy was extremely volatile. In their three victories, their shots were falling – Boston went 60-for-144, hitting at 40.1 percent and averaging 20 triples per game. But in the four other games – losses – they only went 49-for-179, falling to 27.4 percent, equaling 12 three-pointers per contest. In the postseason, they averaged 46.1 attempts per game, which ranked first in the NBA, and it wasn’t even close. The second-ranked Portland averaged 38.4.
Even when the shots stopped falling, Boston kept firing. The breakthrough never came. In Game 7, they missed them during the key late stretch, which allowed Phila to pull away once more. But that time, for good. The Celtics never caught up. The 76ers survived and advanced, while the Boston ship sank to the bottom.
Powered by Joel Embiid, Philadelphia outlasted its nemesis. Delivering the best playoff performance of his lifetime, the center carried the 76ers through, averaging 25.2 points, 8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game in the postseason. In Game 7, he recorded 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. “It feels good to win,” said Embiid. “Obviously, we got a bigger goal in mind. But finally beating these guys feels pretty good.”
Embiid missed the first three games of the series while recovering from emergency appendicitis surgery. Philadelphia went 1-2 without him and lost again in his first game back. Then everything changed. Embiid found his rhythm and carried the 76ers to the comeback victory.
Looking to rally again
Health has remained the biggest obstacle of Embiid’s career in recent years. Since winning MVP in the 2022-23 season, injuries have repeatedly interrupted his momentum. This season, he appeared in 38 games. With Embiid on the floor, the 76ers went 24-14. Without him, they were 21-23. A player of his caliber gives his team the edge and draws the line between winning and losing. If he were healthy for the whole year, Philadelphia would most likely earn a higher postseason seed.
With Tyrese Maxey – one of the best offensive guards in the league – and shining rookie VJ Edgecombe on the roster, supported by a 9-time All-Star Paul George, Philadelphia is looking to make a deep playoff run. And if Embiid remains healthy and plays a full season, they can contend for the championship in the upcoming years.
Now, Philadelphia faces New York for a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks currently hold a 2-0 series lead, but deficits no longer intimidate the 76ers. Can they pull off another comeback? Much of their fate depends on Embiid’s health. He sat out Game 2, and Philadelphia will need him at full strength if it hopes to keep its season alive once again.