76ers rally from 3-1 hole, beat Celtics 109-100 in Game 7 in Boston

Philadelphia just pulled off the kind of playoff win that usually belongs to somebody else. The 76ers went into Boston for Game 7 on Saturday night, won 109-100, and finished off a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit. That matters because this franchise has spent years, and Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and a fearless rookie named VJ Edgecombe flipped the script. ### Why does this feel bigger than one Game 7? Because it wasn't just a road win — it was a road win against the Celtics, in Boston, after Philadelphia had already looked dead in the series. The Sixers had dropped Game 4 by 32 points and were down 3-1. They answered with three straight wins, including Games 5 and 7 on the road, to become one of the few teams in NBA history to recover from that hole. It was also Philadelphia's first series win over Boston in 44 years. ### What decided the game? The first and third quarters. Philadelphia opened up 32-19 in the first, then won the third 33-25 after Boston had trimmed the halftime margin to five. That kept the Celtics from turning the game into one of those avalanche nights at TD Garden. Every time Boston made a push, the Sixers had an answer — usually through Embiid in the middle or Maxey getting downhill. ### How good was Embiid? He was the center of everything. Embiid finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists, and he did it while clearly banged up. He took contact to his knee more than once, briefly went to the locker room, came back, and still played 39 minutes. The important part wasn't just the scoring. Boston never really solved the problem of him. Single coverage didn't work, and help coverage opened up the floor for everyone else. ### Where did Maxey