Sixers shock Celtics in Game 7 to advance to second round

BOSTON — Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey showed out in Game 7, leading the Sixers to a victory over the Celtics that allows them to advance to a second-round matchup with the New York Knicks.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was dealt a bad hand before Game 7 even started against the Sixers when it was announced that star Jayson Tatum wouldn't be available due to left knee soreness. But instead of replacing that bad card, Mazzulla put all the cards back, reshuffled the deck and spewed out a starting lineup that included three players making their first playoff starts.

Without Tatum, who was averaging 23.3 points in the series, Boston went with regulars Jaylen Brown and Derrick White to go along with Baylor Scheierman, Ron Harper Jr. and Luka Garza. The Celtics looked about as expected early — disjointed and confused, allowing the Sixers to jump out to a big lead early and hang on for a 109-100 win to advance to the second round of the playoffs in a wonderfully exhausting game played by both teams.

Embiid led the Sixers with 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, while Maxey scored 30, including two huge layups late in the game. VJ Edgecombe scored 23 and Paul George 13 as the Sixers erased a 3-1 series deficit.

Brown had 33 and White 26 to pace the Celtics.

The Sixers seemed to have an answer for everything the Celtics tried to throw at them early, whether it was Embiid scoring against a myriad of defenders, Maxey being playmaker or Paul George drilling rally-killing jumpers. After a timeout, George drilled a three to give the Sixers a 28-15 lead late in the first. 

The unity the Sixers have gathered of late was on display late in that quarter when Boston guard Payton Pritchard drove the lane, looking for a late basket. When he bobbled the ball, three Sixers swarmed him and didn't allow a shot as the quarter ended with the Sixers up by 32-19.

The Celtics are the Celtics, however, and though they were playing on seldom used players, they forced their way back by doing the things that have hurt the Sixers this series — hitting three-pointers and grab offensive rebounds. They grabbed their first lead of the game at 37-36 with 6:52 to go in the first half on a Pritchard three. The crowd, slightly reserved by the good start of the Sixers, were their boisterous selves and helped take the Sixers out of their game a little bit. 

The Sixers regained the lead and seemed to find their footing later in the second quarter. The biggest play for the team came with 30 seconds remaining in the half and the Sixers holding a 53-50 lead. Brown appeared to have a wide-open lane to the basket and rose for a dunk from the right wing. Embiid met him at the rim, however, and Maxey then deposited a jumper for a 55-50 lead at the break.

Despite the perceived desperate measures by the Celtics, it was a good beginning for the Sixers with the importance of the game and the history of the teams, as the last time the Sixers eliminated Boston from the playoffs was back in 1982.

"I think you're always trying to look at possibilities of things that they had success with that they might go back to a little bit more," said Nurse of preparing for the Celtics without Tatum. "You have to see how it unfolds a little bit and you talk about three or four different scenarios and things that could be different just to make sure that you're ready to see them and then try to address them as they crop up.

"I've kind of been saying most of the series that shot creation has been pretty good and Joel has been a big part of that since he's been back. It's just a simple matter of him getting the ball to the right spot. If it's something in front of him, or if it's a double team and reading it right, over-help. Whatever the situation is, he's done a good job, but it's the same for everybody. Tyrese needs to do the same, Paul needs to do the same. We need to hit the open man and take what's there and then make sure we're step in and take the next shot.

"It's been pretty pronounced in the series, obviously. I think there's been some nights where they've made a ton and we haven't and a couple nights where we made quite a few as well. It's been a factor in this series, the amount of attempts and the makes from the three. The rebounding has been another big story in this series. That's won some games, too. For the most parts, the matchups have been amazing to watch. I just think it's been really amazing to watch these guys guard each other and do some things. I think both teams have done a heck of a job at just really battling their one-on-one matchups."

The Sixers won most of them on Saturday, as Boston tried to throw everyone on Embiid. At times, it was their centers in Garza and Neemias Queta, then Brown, and for a while deep sub Hugo Gonzalez. None had much success. And when it wasn't Embiid, it was Edgecombe playing like a star veteran, and George knocking down big shots, and Maxey taking over when he had to.

The Celtics, of course, made it interesting early in the fourth when they implored a matchup zone. It stymied the Sixers and a 17-point lead was trimmed to one when Boston went on a 21-5 run, and it was game-on. 

Maxey made two huge driving layups towards the end of the game to expand the lead to nine and the Celtics didn't score for a 3:40 span down the stretch. The Sixers advanced, in arguably as big of a win as they've had since 2000-01.