Joel Embiid finally vanquished his Game 7 demons. The Philadelphia 76ers center produced a dominant 34-point, 12-rebound, six-assist performance to lead the Sixers past the Boston Celtics 109-100 at TD Garden on Saturday night, securing his first career Game 7 victory and completing just the 14th comeback from a 3-1 series deficit in NBA history.
For Embiid, the win carried extra weight. The 2023 MVP had lost all three previous Game 7 appearances of his career. But playing through recovery from emergency appendectomy surgery that sidelined him for the first three games of the series, the 7-foot center left everything on the floor in Boston — making 9 of 11 free throws, punishing the Celtics in the paint, and directing traffic as the fulcrum of Philadelphia's offense.
How the Sixers Slayed the Celtics: Inside the Historic Game 7
The seventh-seeded 76ers became the 14th team in NBA history to rally from a 3-1 series deficit, and it was their stars who made it happen. Tyrese Maxey poured in 30 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists, while rookie VJ Edgecombe added 23 points and Paul George chipped in 13. Maxey and Embiid became just the third duo in league history to each record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a Game 7 — joining Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, and Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.
The Celtics, playing without injured star Jayson Tatum who sat out with a knee injury sustained in Game 6, were led by Jaylen Brown's 33 points and nine rebounds. Derrick White added 26 points with five 3-pointers, and Neemias Queta posted 17 points and 12 rebounds. But Boston's 3-point shooting abandoned them at the worst possible time — the Celtics finished 13-of-49 from deep (27%), their third straight game struggling from long range, while Philadelphia shot 39% from beyond the arc.
Brown did not hold back his frustration after the loss, accusing Embiid of "flopping around" to draw foul calls. "He put a lot of pressure on us," Brown said. "We didn't really have an answer for him. We tried a bunch of different things and he just — he's a big body, and also he was flopping around, he got some extra calls and stuff like that, and they rewarded him for that. That's the league that we're in."
The Road to Redemption: How Embiid and the Sixers Got Here
Just weeks ago, the Sixers' season appeared doomed. Embiid woke up with appendicitis just days before the regular season concluded and underwent emergency surgery. He missed the final regular-season games, the NBA Play-In tournament, and the first three games of the Celtics series before making his debut in Game 4. The Sixers dropped three of the first four games, falling into a 3-1 hole that has historically been a death sentence — only 13 teams before this had ever climbed out of it.
But Philadelphia flipped a switch. They took Game 5 at home, stole Game 6 in Boston with the Celtics visibly deflated by Tatum's injury, and then delivered the knockout punch in Game 7. The Sixers franchise, including its time as the Syracuse Nationals, improved to 2-10 in road Game 7s — with their only other win also coming at Boston Garden, back in 1982.
Embiid's comeback story is staggering from a statistical perspective. He became the first player in NBA history to score 100 points in a playoff series while missing the first three games. Over his four appearances, he averaged 28.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists — numbers that, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia, make him the first player ever to average 28 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocks in any playoff series conference or quarterfinal.
What Embiid's Breakthrough Means for Philadelphia
This series victory represents a major psychological breakthrough for Embiid and the 76ers organization. The Celtics had been a thorn in Philadelphia's side for years, most notably blowing out the Sixers in Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference semifinals. "We had a chance to beat them three years ago, didn't do it. We came in and got it done," Maxey said after the game.
Embiid, ever the showman, addressed his health with characteristic humor. When asked about his condition following the grueling series, the big man deadpanned: "I feel great. I feel amazing. I was faking it." Sixers head coach Nick Nurse acknowledged the challenge of managing Embiid's return. "The amount of games is still pretty low, right? These are super intense, pretty quick comebacks, every other day. He didn't get lucky enough to get those three-day breaks at the start," Nurse said. "We obviously ran a lot of stuff through him."
Where Things Stand Now: A Knicks Showdown Looms
The 76ers will now face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, with Game 1 scheduled for Monday night at Madison Square Garden. It's a matchup that has already generated significant buzz — and not just because of the on-court stakes. Embiid made headlines immediately after the Game 7 win by pleading with Philadelphia fans not to sell their tickets to Knicks supporters. "We need that home-court advantage," Embiid reportedly told reporters. The concern is legitimate: Knicks fans have a reputation for traveling well and have been known to take over opposing arenas during the playoffs.
The Knicks, the No. 3 seed, will have home-court advantage in the series, and Philadelphia will need to steal at least one game at Madison Square Garden to advance. Embiid's minutes will remain a story as he continues to build up his conditioning post-surgery, but after averaging 34.0 points over his last two games against Boston, the big man appears to be hitting his stride at the perfect time.
What's Next: Can Embiid Finally Bring a Title to Philly?
For Embiid, the mission is clear. He's been the NBA MVP, a perennial All-Star, and one of the most dominant scorers of his generation — but a deep playoff run has remained elusive. Now, with a Game 7 monkey finally off his back and the Celtics dispatched, the path to the Eastern Conference Finals opens up. Standing in the way is a Knicks team that has been one of the league's toughest defensive units all season. If Embiid can continue producing at this level while managing his recovery, and if Maxey continues to play like an All-Star sidekick, this could finally be the year the 76ers make the run Philadelphia has been waiting for.
Key Takeaways from Philadelphia's Historic Comeback
- Embiid's first Game 7 win: After losing his first three Game 7 appearances, Embiid finally broke through with a 34-point, 12-rebound masterpiece
- Historic 3-1 comeback: The 76ers became the 14th team in NBA history to rally from a 3-1 deficit, winning three straight elimination games
- Historic duo: Embiid and Maxey joined elite company as the third duo ever with 25/10/5 in a Game 7
- Embiid's resilience: Played through appendicitis recovery, becoming the first player to score 100 points in a series while missing the first three games
- Celtics collapse: Boston blew a 3-1 lead while missing Jayson Tatum and shot just 27% from three in Game 7
- Knicks next: Philadelphia faces New York in the second round starting Monday night
