The Philadelphia 76ers are heading back to Boston for a decisive Game 7 after a commanding 106-93 victory over the Celtics on Thursday night. The win kept their season alive and set up a winner-take-all showdown Saturday night in Boston, with the New York Knicks waiting in the second round.
The game was all but decided early in the fourth quarter when the 76ers built a 23-point lead. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla pulled star forward Jaylen Brown and center Neemias Queta with 10:24 remaining, opting to rest his starters and save their energy for the do-or-die matchup ahead.
It was a stunning turnaround for Philadelphia, which just four days earlier suffered a humiliating 32-point loss at home in Game 4—the second-worst home playoff defeat in franchise history. Even the return of center Joel Embiid, who had missed nearly three weeks after emergency appendicitis surgery, couldn't prevent that blowout. But the 76ers have transformed since then, rattling off two straight wins to force the ninth Game 7 in the storied rivalry between these two franchises.
History, however, heavily favors Boston. The Celtics have won six of the eight previous Game 7 matchups, including a memorable 112-88 victory in the 2023 conference semifinals when Jayson Tatum erupted for a career playoff-high 51 points. Philadelphia's last Game 7 win over Boston came in the 1982 conference finals—the only time the 76ers have won a Game 7 on the road. Since then, they've lost all six postseason series against the Celtics.
The 76ers are 6-12 all-time in Game 7s and have dropped four straight, with their last wins coming in the 2001 conference semifinals and finals, both at home. Boston, by contrast, boasts a 27-10 record in Game 7s, including 5-2 since Tatum's rookie season in 2017-18.
Philadelphia is trying to become just the 14th NBA team—and the first since the Denver Nuggets in 2020—to rally from a 3-1 series deficit. With nearly 96% of teams holding that lead advancing, the odds are stacked against them. But after back-to-back wins and a dominant Game 6 performance, the 76ers have momentum on their side heading into Saturday's clash.