76ers eliminate Celtics in Game 7

Philadelphia didn’t just beat Boston. The Sixers walked into TD Garden on Saturday, May 2, won 109-100, and finished off one of the nast(nba.com)down 3-1 in the series. Then they won three straight. That turned a first-round matchup that looked basically over into a Celtics collapse and a real reset of the East bracket. (nba.com) ### How big was this comeback? Huge — and not just in the usual Game 7 way. Philadelphia bec(espn.com)ficit in a best-of-seven series. Boston had the higher seed, home court, and a 3-1 cushion after a 128-96 blowout in Game 4. Then the series flipped completely. (espn.com) ### Who actually won the game? Joel Embiid was the center of it. He finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and (nba.com) it needed with 30 points, seven assists, and a playoff career-high 11 rebounds. That combo mattered because the Sixers didn’t win with some weird fluky shooting night — they won with their two best creators carrying the game. (nba.com) ### What(espn.com) the game back. Jaylen Brown scored 33 points and kept Boston alive for stretches, but the Celtics were chasing most of the night. The bigger issue was that the offense never found the clean, controlled version you expect from a contender trying to close at home. (nba.com) ### Was this just one bad night? Not really — that’s the sting. Boston ha(nba.com) lead. Instead, Philadelphia won Game 5 by 16, Game 6 by 13, and then Game 7 by nine. A single cold shooting night is one thing. Losing the last three after getting that close is the part people in Boston will sit with. (nba.com) ### Why did this feel different for Philly? Because the Sixers have spent years being the team on the w(nba.com)le all season, and health was a constant question, but in the biggest game they got the exact formula they’ve wanted — Embiid dominating, Maxey attacking, and enough control late to keep Boston from making the usual home-floor run. (nba.com) ### What did the win unlock? A second-round series with (nba.com) New York already hosted Game 1 on May 4 and crushed Philadelphia 137-98, so the Sixers barely had time to enjoy the Boston comeback before the next problem showed up. That matters because emotional Game 7 wins are great, but the bracket doesn’t pause for them. (espn.com) ### So what’s the real takeaway? For Philadelphia, this was proof that th(nba.com)p a dead-looking series. For Boston, it was the opposite — a 3-1 lead, home court, and still no finish. The score was 109-100, but the bigger number is 3-1. That’s the lead the Celtics had, and the one they let go. (nba.com)