Game 7 is the two best words in sports. Philadelphia traveled back to Boston for a win-or-go home scenario after winning games five and six in the NBA Playoffs’ first round series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum was ruled out a couple of hours ago before tip off. This rivalry would immediately get started in TD Garden.
Joel Embiid got the scoring started with a foul-line jumper. Philly would immediately jump out to a 9-0 start after a VJ Edgecombe three. Embiid threw up a shot with the shot clock winding down as he looked for the foul call. The Sixers had their best first quarter of the series as they led 32-19 entering the second quarter.
Early in the second quarter, Tyrese Maxey lost the ball and then hit a tough fallaway jumper against Hugo Gonzalez to quiet down the crowd. Payton Pritchard would put on an array of moves and score an up-and-under floater. Derrick White and Pritchard would make back-to-back threes that gave Boston the lead. The Celtics went on a 18-4 run until the 6:22 mark in the second. Jaylen Brown beat the shot clock with a three that brought the Boston crowd to their feet. Brown drove right at Embiid looking for a poster but Embiid blocked it emphatically. Embiid had 19 points in the first half. White had 12 points in the quarter. Philadelphia led 55-50 at the half.
Philly went on a 8-0 run earlier in the third quarter which led to a Boston timeout. Embiid and Brown were talking back and forth to each other all quarter long and for the rest of the game. Paul George put on the moves against Sam Hauser and drilled a stepback three. Philly led by 18 points which was their largest lead of the game. White banked in the layup to end the third quarter.
The Sixers led 88-75 entering the fourth quarter. Boston went on a 16-4 run at the beginning of the fourth. Brown hit a tough and-one jumper during that stretch that cut the lead to one. Boston and Philly would go back and forth down the stretch as the Celtics had many opportunities to take the lead. Maxey had back-to-back plays where he used his speed to finish at the basket. The 76ers won 109-100 on the road.
Philly completed the 3-1 comeback in this series. Boston was 32-0 all time when leading 3-1 in a playoff series. Embiid was 0-3 in game sevens and was able to finally beat the Celtics. Earlier in the series he said he’s “tired of losing to them.”
Embiid had 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. Maxey had 30 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Edgecombe made history by scoring the most points as a rookie in game seven in Sixers franchise history with 23 points. George had 13 points on his 36th birthday.
Philadelphia’s last time winning a playoff series against Boston was in 1982 and it had been 44 years in the making. Boston’s season is over and Philly’s continues.
The 76ers next play another one of their rivals in the New York Knicks in the second round. Game one is Monday May 4 at 8 p.m. in Madison Square Garden.
