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Joel Embiid delivered a dominant performance with 34 points and 12 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers secured a 109–100 victory over the Boston Celtics, sealing a dramatic playoff elimination on Saturday.
The result not only ended Boston’s campaign but also marked a historic turnaround for Philadelphia, who completed a rare comeback from 3–1 down in the series.
Tyrese Maxey proved decisive in the closing stages, scoring 10 of his 30 points in a high-pressure fourth quarter. His late surge halted Boston’s comeback attempts and ensured the seventh-seeded Sixers advanced to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where they will face the New York Knicks. The win also ended a painful streak for Philadelphia, who had lost its last six playoff series encounters against Boston.
Embiid, who had openly expressed frustration at repeated postseason defeats to the Celtics, said the team made a conscious decision to change the narrative.
“Just playing hard,” he said. “We started off well and then in the second quarter we kind of relaxed a little but we stuck together, closed it out. It’s about playing hard.”
Boston, led by Jaylen Brown’s 34 points and Derrick White’s 26, struggled with efficiency, particularly from beyond the arc, hitting just 13 of 49 three-point attempts. The absence of star forward Jayson Tatum, ruled out shortly before tip-off with a knee issue, further compounded their difficulties.
Despite several late pushes that brought them within a point, the Celtics could not regain control. Philadelphia maintained composure down the stretch, with Maxey’s scoring burst sealing a landmark win—only the 14th time in NBA history a team has overturned a 3–1 playoff deficit.
