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The Boston Celtics watched 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 Celtics in Game 7 of the first-round NBA playoffs in Boston on May 2, 2026. (Jim Davis/AP)
“Embiid put a lot of pressure on us, like on all our bigs and our guards,” he said, via Mass Live. “We didn’t really have an answer for him. We tried a bunch of different things and he just, he’s a big body, and also he was flopping around, he got some extra calls and stuff like that, and they rewarded him for that. That’s the league that we’re in. So, that’s all I got to say.”
Tyrese Maxey added 30 points and VJ Edgecombe added 23 in the win.
One of the key difference-makers 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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Celtics’ Jaylen Brown plays during the final minutes of Game 7 in 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 as though Philadelphia was a “traditional” No. 7 seed. He gave credit to Maxey, Embiid and Paul George’s effectiveness.
“Like we just didn’t really have an answer for Embiid in the games that he played. He just was 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 that 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 in the middle of Game 6 and he sat for Game 7.
Celtics’ Baylor Scheierman defends Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid during the first half of Game 7 in 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.
