The Philadelphia 76ers erased a 3-1 series deficit and eliminated the Boston Celtics on Saturday, becoming the first No. 7 seed in Eastern Conference history to oust a No. 2 seed since the NBA adopted a best-of-seven first round in 2003.
Philadelphia’s 121-112 Game 7 victory at TD Garden also snapped a pair of long-standing streaks between the rivals. The 76ers had been 0-18 all time when trailing 3-1 in a series, while the Celtics were 32-0 when holding that advantage. Philadelphia had not beaten Boston in the postseason since 1982, losing six straight series in the span.
Embiid leads the charge
Center Joel Embiid, less than a month removed from an emergency appendectomy, delivered 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes. The 32-year-old briefly appeared to hyperextend his knee late in the fourth quarter but dismissed the limp afterward.
“It feels good to win,” Embiid said. “Obviously, we’ve got a bigger goal in mind, but finally beating these guys feels pretty good.”
Maxey matches history
All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey added 30 points, 11 boards and seven assists. According to ESPN, Embiid and Maxey are the first teammates to post at least 30-10-5 apiece in a Game 7.
“Early in the fourth, we went to Joel, and I just felt like it was time for me to step up and make a play,” Maxey said.
Rookie Edgecombe steps up defensively
No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe contributed 23 points, six rebounds and four assists. The rookie asked to guard Derrick White after the Celtics guard scored 19 first-half points; White went 1-for-7 in the third quarter. “Those are the things that make a huge difference in games like this,” head coach Nick Nurse said.
Looking ahead
Injuries shadowed the 76ers during their 45-37 regular season, but the team’s resilience has pushed it into the Eastern Conference semifinals. Philadelphia opens its second-round series against the New York Knicks on Monday.
Source: Hoops Rumors
