Philadelphia eliminates Boston from NBA playoffs after trailing 1–3 in the series

The Philadelphia 76ers completed a historic comeback in their NBA playoff series against the Boston Celtics. The team won Game 7 by a score of 109–100 and closed out the matchup with a 4–3 series victory.

The result was historic for both teams. Boston lost a series after leading 3–1 for the first time in franchise history. Before this, the Celtics had been in that position 32 times and had always finished the job. For Philadelphia, by contrast, this was the franchise’s first series win after falling behind 1–3 — the club had failed to recover from that deficit on 18 previous occasions.

Joel Embiid was the hero of the decisive game. The center recorded 34 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, delivering a dominant performance at the most important moment of the season. Tyrese Maxey added 30 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists, rookie VJ Edgecombe scored another 23 points, and Paul George contributed 13 points.

Boston was without Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown tried to take on the leadership role. He finished the game with 33 points. Derrick White added 26, while Neemias Queta scored 17 points, but it was not enough.

What makes this comeback especially dramatic is Embiid’s story. Because of appendix surgery, he missed the first three games of the series before returning and helping Philadelphia win three straight. In the four games after his return, Embiid scored 26, 33, 19 and 34 points.

This victory already looks like one of the most significant of Embiid’s career — and possibly the most important. Philadelphia did not simply advance; it did so through a historic comeback, eliminating a fierce rival and rewriting franchise history.

In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Sixers will face the New York Knicks. One of the main storylines of the series will be the battle of big men: Joel Embiid against Karl-Anthony Towns.