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The Boston Celtics saw their 3-1 series lead against the Philadelphia 76ers slip away this week as they lost Game 7 and were eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday night.
The 76ers won Game 7, 109-100, behind Joel Embiid’s 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Embiid made nine of his 11 free throw attempts, but drew flopping accusations from Celtics star Jaylen Brown after the game.
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Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid celebrates after his team defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the first round of the NBA playoffs in Boston on May 2, 2026. (Jim Davis/AP)
“Embiid put a lot of pressure on us, as did all of our bigs and our guards,” he said via Mass Live. “We didn’t really have an answer for him. We tried a lot of different things and he’s just a big body and also he flopped around, he got some extra calls and stuff and they rewarded him for it. That’s the league we’re in. So that’s all I have to say.”
Tyrese Maxey added 30 points and VJ Edgecombe added 23 in the win.
One of the key differences in Game 7 was Philadelphia’s 3-point shooting. The 76ers were 39% from long range while Boston shot 27%. The Celtics were 13-of-49.
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Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown plays in the final minutes of Game 7 of a first-round NBA playoff series in Boston on May 2, 2026. (Jim Davis/AP)
Brown said after the game that he didn’t feel Philadelphia was a “traditional” No. 7 seed. He gave credit to the effectiveness of Maxey, Embiid and Paul George.
“Like we just didn’t really have an answer for Embiid in the games he played. He was just a problem for us,” Brown added. “Obviously we didn’t know if he was going to be able to play because of his appendicitis or whatever you call it, but I think it made the difference. But give credit to (76ers head coach) Nick Nurse. Give credit to Philadelphia. They got better.”
Boston also lost Jayson Tatum to an injury midway through Game 6, and he sat out Game 7.
Boston Celtics’ Jayson Baylor Scheierman defends Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid in the first half of Game 7 of a first-round NBA playoff series in Boston on May 2, 2026. (Jim Davis/AP)
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Philadelphia will play the New York Knicks in the next round.
