The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics in Game 7 to win the series after erasing a 3-1 deficit.
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey powered Philadelphia past Boston in a dramatic Game 7, turning a likely collapse into a signature playoff escape.
The Philadelphia 76ers refused to fold, and that alone made this elimination game feel different from the start. After dropping into a 3-1 hole, Philadelphia found its edge, its poise, and its best players at the exact moment the season demanded it.
Joel Embiid delivered the kind of stat line that defines postseason victories. He finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, giving the 76ers a relentless interior force who could score, rebound and create under pressure.
Tyrese Maxey matched the urgency with a breakout performance of his own. Maxey posted 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, and he did it with only one turnover in 45 minutes, a level of control that helped Philadelphia survive Boston’s late push.
Boston had a real path to extending the series, especially with Jayson Tatum unavailable because of a left leg injury. The Celtics still fought hard enough to erase a 13-point deficit and trim the gap to one with 5:02 left, but Philadelphia answered with composure instead of panic.
That response came through Maxey, who took over in the final stretch. He scored 10 points in the last six minutes, a burst that swung the game back to Philadelphia and crushed Boston’s comeback hopes.
How Philadelphia flipped the series
The 76ers did not just win one game. They won three straight to close the series, which makes the turnaround even more impressive. After looking buried at 3-1, Philadelphia produced the kind of resilience that changes the tone of an entire playoff run.
Embiid gave the 76ers a dominant anchor, while Maxey supplied speed, shot-making and late-game confidence. Together, they gave Philadelphia the balance Boston could not fully answer once the game tightened in the fourth quarter.
For Boston, the loss stings because the Celtics were close enough to force the pressure back on Philadelphia. Even without Tatum, they battled into the final minutes and briefly threatened to steal the game, but they could not finish the job.
For the 76ers, this Game 7 will be remembered as a statement. Philadelphia survived the pressure, leaned on its stars, and eliminated Boston in the most dramatic way possible after staring down a 3-1 series deficit.
In a postseason built on defining moments, the 76ers created one of their own. Embiid’s production, Maxey’s closing burst and Philadelphia’s refusal to break made this a comeback that will echo well beyond one night in the series.