76ers force Game 7 vs. Celtics

Philadelphia kept its season alive, and now this series has turned into the exact kind of Game 7 pressure cooker both teams were trying to avoid. The 76ers beat the Celtics 106-93 in Game 6 on Friday, May 1, behind 30 points from Tyrese Maxey and a much sharper defensive effort. That matters because Boston had been up 3-1 and looked ready to move on. Instead, the Celtics are going home for a winner-take-all game Saturday night, May 2, with the Knicks waiting in the next round. (espn.ph) ### How did Philly flip this? By finally making the series ugly on purpose. Philadelphia didn’t need a miracle shooting night. The 76ers needed control — fewer live-ball mistakes, better halfcourt defense, and enough shot creation from Maxey and Paul George to keep Boston from getting comfortable. (espn.ph)ched the lead in the third, and never let the Celtics fully turn it into a late scramble. (espn.ph) ### Who carried the offense? Maxey was the engine. He scored 30 on 11-for-22 shooting and kept finding ways to attack before Boston’s defense got set. George added 23, which is a big deal because Philly has needed a reliable second perimeter scorer all series. Joel Embiid’s line — 17 points, 10 reb(espn.ph) game he was organizing. He was more traffic cop than solo act, and that worked. (espn.ph) ### What went wrong for Boston? The 3-point shooting dried up again. Boston went 12-for-41 from deep in Game 6 after going 11-for-39 in its Game 5 loss. For a team that usually bends games with spacing and volume, that’s the whole problem. When the threes stop falling, the Celtics can still score, (espn.ph)hia can crowd the paint, stay attached to shooters, and make every possession feel heavier. (nba.com) ### Was this really a collapse? Not yet — but that’s the word hanging over Boston now. The Celtics won Games 3 and 4 by comfortable margins and had the series at 3-1. Lose Game 7, and they become one of the relatively small number of NBA teams to blow that kind of lead. That’s why the mood changed so fast. Two lo(nba.com)e thinks the series has been. (nba.com) ### Is Tatum okay? Probably, but it’s still worth watching. Jayson Tatum left in the third quarter of Game 6 with left-leg tightness and did not return, though he said afterward he expected to play Saturday. That matters less because Boston needed him in the final four minutes of a game already slipping away, and(nba.com)e the stars usually have to play through fatigue and carry huge usage. (nba.com) ### Why does Game 7 feel bigger than one round? Because the bracket is already moving. The Knicks have advanced, so there’s no mystery about the reward — survive this, and New York is next in the East semifinals. For Boston, the stakes are about avoiding humiliation and restoring control. For Philadelphia, the st(nba.com)e road against the franchise that has so often ended its season. (nba.com) ### What should you watch first Saturday night? Watch the first ten Boston threes and watch Maxey’s burst. If the Celtics start clean from outside, the geometry changes fast. If Maxey keeps turning the corner and Embiid keeps functioning as the hub, Philly can drag Boston back into the same slow, tense game it just won twice. (nba.com)and nerve. (espn.ph) ### Bottom line The 76ers didn’t just survive. They changed the emotional math of the matchup. Boston still has home court and the higher seed, but Game 7 is no longer about the favorite finishing the job. It’s about whether the Celtics can stop the feeling that this series already slipped out of their hands.