By ReutersPublished On 3 May 20263 May 2026Joel Embiid had 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, and Tyrese Maxey added 30 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 109-100 victory over the host Boston Celtics in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.The 76ers won the final three games in the series on Saturday after losing the first, third and fourth games.It was the first time in franchise history that Philadelphia overcame a 3-1 series deficit, and the 14th time in league history for any team to recover from such a position.“We handled playing [in a hostile environment] just enough, but I think it was really good for us to experience it,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said after the game.Philadelphia, seeded seventh, will visit the third-seeded New York Knicks on Monday in Game 1 of their second-round series.“What changed in the series is Joel Embiid came back, and they’re a completely different team,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.Embiid took the court for the last three games after not playing since April 6, as he required an emergency appendectomy during a team trip through Texas.Second-seeded Boston trailed 99-98 following two Neemias Queta free throws, but Maxey scored the next eight points to put Philadelphia up 107-98 with 15 seconds left.Philadelphia received 23 points from rookie VJ Edgecombe. Paul George added 13. The 76ers’ bench totalled three points – all by Quentin Grimes.Boston’s Jayson Tatum was ruled out of the game because of stiffness …
