Sixers Force Decisive Game 7 Against Celtics After Maxey and George Combine for 53 Points
Tyrese Maxey and Paul George spearheaded a comeback victory, with Joel Embiid returning from surgery to help the Sixers join the Miami Heat as one of only two teams to record consecutive double-digit wins against Boston while facing elimination.
The Philadelphia 76ers have forced a decisive Game 7 against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Eastern Conference finals, overturning a 3-1 series deficit with a 106-93 victory on Thursday night. Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points while Paul George added 23, combining for 53 points to lead the Sixers' resurgence. This win marks the third time in franchise history that Boston will face a Game 7 after taking a 3-1 lead, a statistic that underscores the rarity of the Sixers' achievement given their historical record against the Celtics.
Joel Embiid returned to the lineup early in the series following appendectomy surgery, contributing 19 points in the previous game and helping the Sixers rebound from two blowout losses. The victory also sees the Sixers join the Miami Heat as one of only two teams in postseason history to achieve consecutive double-digit wins against the Celtics while facing elimination. The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report, noting the significance of the team's performance against a historically dominant opponent.
A pivotal moment occurred in the third quarter when Kelly Oubre Jr. blocked Jaylen Brown's shot; Maxey secured the loose ball and initiated a fast break that resulted in a dunk by VJ Edgecombe, extending the Sixers' lead to 69-54. The Celtics went more than four minutes without a point to close the third, and the Sixers stormed into the final quarter with an 82-63 lead. Jayson Tatum left the game in the third quarter due to an apparent calf injury, and Jaylen Brown was hampered by three fouls in the first half.
The Sixers' offense ran primarily through Paul George while Embiid rested on the bench, with George hitting a team-high five three-pointers. George signed with the Sixers in the summer of 2024 on a four-year, $212 million free agent contract and was expected to form a 1-2 championship punch with Embiid, though his tenure has been marked by injuries, personal issues, and a 25-game suspension for flunking a drug test. Despite these challenges, he keyed Philadelphia's best game of the season Thursday, a stunner given how the Celtics toyed with them in their three wins this series.
Sixers fans celebrated the win immediately after the game, coinciding with the Philadelphia Flyers' overtime victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL playoffs the night before. The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report, highlighting the complete nature of the Sixers' effort which included a resurgent performance from Maxey and a throwback effort from George. The 76ers will go only as far as Embiid can take them on his injury-prone 7-foot frame, but the path to a potential title has been cleared for now.
