76ers complete comeback, beat Celtics 109-100 in Game 7 in Boston

Philadelphia just pulled off the kind of playoff win that changes how a whole postseason feels. The 76ers went into Boston, won Game 7 by nine, and erased a 3-1 series hole against the defending champion Celtics. That is the headline. But the bigger thing is what it says about this team — they finally survived the exact kind of series that used to swallow them. ### How big was this? Huge — not just because it was a road Game 7, but because Boston had been the safer, deeper, more stable team all year. Philadelphia became the first NBA team since 2020 to come back from 3-1 down, and it was the franchise’s first successful 3-1 comeback at all. Joel Embiid led with 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Tyrese Maxey piled on 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. ### What actually swung Game 7? The first quarter set the tone. Philadelphia came out faster, sharper, and way less tight, winning the opening period 32-19. Boston spent the rest of the night chasing. The Celtics made little runs, but the Sixers kept answering — especially late, when Maxey got to the rim for two huge baskets and Embiid controlled the middle on both ends. ### Why does “Jayson Tatum-less” matter? Because it changes the texture of the whole result. Boston lost its main offensive organizer, and that left Jaylen Brown carrying more of the shot creation burden than the Celtics really wanted in a Game 7. Philadelphia still had to win it — road Game 7s do not hand themselves over — but Boston this among recent playoff upsets. ### Why does this feel different for Philly? Because the usual script broke. The Embiid-era Sixers have spent years looking talented enough, then cracking when the series got weird. This one got very weird. Embiid had already missed time earlier in the season, the series turned into a test that travels into the next round. ### Was this really a historic comeback? Yes — in the narrow, useful sense. The NBA has not had many 3-1 comebacks, and this was the league’s 14th. It was also the Sixers’ first time pulling one off. So this was not just “nice resilience.” It was a franchise-level scar getting removed in real time. ### What happens next? There is almost no time to celebrate. Philadelphia opens the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks on Monday, May 4, at Madison Square Garden. ESPN’s schedule page lists Game 1 for 5:00 p.m. Eastern, and the NBA’s playoff schedule shows the second round beginning immediately as first-round series close out. ### Why is the Knicks matchup interesting? Because this win took a lot out of Philadelphia, but it also gave the Sixers exactly what they usually lack — belief that holds up under pressure. New York gets the rest edge. Philadelphia gets the emotional jolt. In May, that trade can cut either way. ### Bottom line The score was 109-100, but the real team beat Boston. The Sixers beat the version of themselves that usually loses