Getty Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter in game six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Boston Celtics bested the Philadelphia 76ers in Sunday’s Game 7 by a commanding final score of 112-88. With this, the Shamrocks will be heading to their third Eastern Conference Finals appearance in a four-season span.
While it was evident that the Sixers were far from ecstatic that their season officially came to a bitter end, the club’s franchise centerpiece and 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid kept things classy when discussing his long-time divisional rivals during his post-game media session, and went as far as to declare the Celtics as being the top team currently in the association.
“We all fought. I thought for the most part we played hard and we all cared about winning but…that’s the best team in the league. They’re so talented and they got a lot of guys that can play great basketball and, like I said, losing to them [in] seven games, I thought, for the most part, we played hard and we just came up short,” Joel Embiid said of the Celtics.
Joel Embiid did not manage to have his finest showing during Philadelphia’s must-win Game 7, as he finished the contest with just 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 4 turnovers all while shooting a lackluster 27.8% from the field despite hoisting up a team-high 18 shots.
Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum Embrace After Celtics Win Game 7
After the final buzzer sounded on Game 7, Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum were seen embracing on the hardwood.
With a close-up camera zeroing in on the two, a microphone picked up the private conversation the star duo quickly had, with the Sixers big man being heard playfully confronting the Celtics wing for his close-out performance.
“You chose today to friggen have that game,” Joel Embiid asked Jayson Tatum.
Jayson Tatum had a historic performance for the Celtics in Game 7, as he went on to drop a whopping 51 points in 41 minutes of action, setting the NBA’s all-time record for the highest point total for a single player in a playoff Game 7.
Along with his sensational scoring performance, the forward would also go on to register 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.
Jaylen Brown Hypes Up Celtics Fans After Game 7 Win
In the days leading up to Game 7, Jaylen Brown publicly called out Celtics fans for their lacking energy at times during the 2023 postseason and stated that he hoped TD Garden would be “loud” and “rocking” for the winner-take-all affair.
After Sunday’s bout, it appears the All-Star’s desires were met as he praised fans in attendance during his post-game media session for their captivating presence throughout the contest.
“I called the Garden out last game and way to respond,” Jaylen Brown said. “The energy in the building was through the roof. It was amazing. Everybody that was in the building, everybody that was cheering for the Celtics I feel like we could feel that energy tonight and it definitely carried over so we’re definitely gonna need some more of that going forward. That was fun, that was a great basketball environment.”
“The energy in the building was through the roof.”
Jaylen Brown satisfied with the crowd at TD Garden for Game 7 🔥
The crowd would seemingly erupt after every major play made by the Celtics, and Jaylen Brown proved to be a catalyst in their noise-making endeavors throughout the game.
Through 40 minutes played the two-time All-Star stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks while shooting 47.4% from the field and 50.0% from deep.
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Joel Embiid Sends Strong Message on Celtics After Sixers Lose Game 7