76ers complete 3-1 comeback

Philadelphia just pulled off the kind of playoff escape that usually happens to somebody else. Down 3-1 against Boston, staring at another familiar collapse, the 76ers won three straight and finished the job with a 109-100 Game 7 win at TD Garden on Saturday, May 2. That ended Boston’s season, flipped one of the league’s nastier recent habits, and shoved the Sixers into the second round against the Knicks almost immediately. (chicagotribune.com) ### What actually happened in Game 7? Joel Embiid was the anchor all night, finishing with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Tyrese Maxey added 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists. Boston made pushes, but Philadelphia kept answering late — basically t(chicagotribune.com)felt more controlled than frantic. (espn.com) ### Why is the 3-1 part such a big deal? Because teams almost never come back from that. This was the 14th successful 3-1 comeback in NBA playoff history, and it was the first time in franchise history that Philadelphia finished one off. T(espn.com)a 3-1 lead before this one. (msn.com) ### Why does this feel bigger than one series? The Sixers have spent years carrying the same postseason label — talented, dangerous, and somehow always one bad stretch from disaster. This comeback hit directly against that reputation. Instead of folding after t(msn.com)remembered. That’s why the win lands as more than a bracket update. (nytimes.com) ### What changed after Game 4? The obvious answer is shot-making, but the deeper shift was composure. Embiid kept the offense from drifting, and Maxey gave Philadelphia the burst Boston struggled to contain late in games. Once the Sixers st(nytimes.com) thing about 3-1 leads — they look safe until they suddenly look cursed. (espn.com) ### Was Boston at full strength? No — and that’s part of the story. Jayson Tatum was absent for Game 7, which changed Boston’s margin for error in the biggest game of the series. That does not erase what Philadelphia did, but it does shape(espn.com)he finish line. (sports.yahoo.com) ### What comes next for Philadelphia? The Knicks. And fast. The NBA schedule had Philadelphia opening the Eastern Conference semifinals at New York on Monday, May 4, which meant the Sixers had only one full (sports.yahoo.com)ation. (nba.com) ### Why does the Knicks matchup matter so much? Because this comeback changed the question around Philadelphia. Before Saturday, the story was whether the Sixers would survive Boston at all. After Saturday, the question became whether this was just one dramatic escape or the start of a real run in the East. Beating Boston gave the(nba.com)ake the comeback feel like a pivot, not a peak. (chicagotribune.com) ### Bottom line? The score was 109-100, but the bigger number was 3-1. Philadelphia finally turned a postseason script around instead of getting buried by it. Now the hard part starts — proving the comeback was not the ending, just the part that changed what seems possible. (chicagotribune.com)