Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey Make NBA History in 76ers’ Game 7 Win Over Celtics

Getty

Tyrese Maxey makes history by becoming the Sixers all-time leader in three-pointers made.

For the first time since 1982, the Philadelphia 76ers bested the Boston Celtics in a playoff series.

It took everything they had, but the Sixers pulled out a 109-100 victory over the Celtics in Game 7 to eliminate Boston and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since 2023.

Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey Make NBA History as a Duo in Game 7 Victory over Celtics

The Sixers fell down 3-1 in the series, but the return of star center Joel Embiid shifted everything into Philadelphia’s favor. Embiid returned for the final four games of the series after missing the first three due to appendectomy recovery, and the Celtics simply didn’t have an answer for the former MVP.

Embiid finished Game 7 with 34 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists. Along with star guard Tyrese Maxey, the duo made some NBA history in the thrilling victory. Maxey finished the game with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists.

Together, Maxey and Embiid became the first duo in NBA history to each have 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in a Game 7, per ESPN.

That’s an extremely impressive stat that highlights how impactful both players were in the do-or-die game. Embiid did a lot of the heavy lifting offensively over the course of the contest, and then Maxey closed things out with several clutch baskets in the closing minutes of the game.

76ers Advance to Face New York Knicks in Eastern Conference Semifinals

It has been over 40 years since the Sixers bested the Celtics in a series, but the city of Philadelphia won’t have too long to celebrate, as the Sixers will be right back in action. They’re scheduled to kick off their second-round series with the Knicks in New York on Monday night.

The matchup between Philadelphia and New York will be a rematch of a first-round matchup from 2024. The Knicks won that series in six games, but the Sixers didn’t have Paul George or V.J. Edgecombe at that point in time.

The series between Philadelphia and New York promises to be a competitive one. The two teams played four times during the regular season and they went 2-2. The Sixers won the first two meetings while the Knicks came out on top in the two most recent matchups.