Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points Thursday as the surging Philadelphia 76ers posted a 106-93 win over the visiting Boston Celtics, forcing a decisive Game 7 in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
The second-seeded Celtics led the series 3-1 following a 32-point win in Philadelphia on Sunday, but the seventh-seeded Sixers rebounded to post double-digit wins in Games 5 and 6.
The teams will reconvene Saturday for Game 7 in Boston, where the Sixers will aim to complete a 3-1 series comeback for the first time in franchise history.
Paul George added 23 points for Philadelphia, while Joel Embiid had 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in his third game since returning from an emergency appendectomy. VJ Edgecombe and Kelly Oubre Jr. chipped in with 14 points apiece for the Sixers.
“I just thought we played free,” George said. “It’s really no pressure. We come out — we lose, we go home.”
“It’s (still) win-or-go-home. I like our chances,” George said about Game 7. “I know it ain’t going to be easy, but we’ve been playing well lately.”
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 18 points but also committed five of his team’s 13 turnovers. Jayson Tatum contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who shot poorly from the field (41.9%), the 3-point arc (12 of 41, 29.3%) and the foul line (9 of 16, 56.2%).
Philadelphia shot just 8 of 24 (33.3%) from the field in the first quarter and trailed 23-20 after 12 minutes.
The second quarter was a different story for the Sixers, who outscored the Celtics 38-26 in the period. Maxey led the way with 13 points in the session.
Philadelphia’s lead was 38-36 midway through the second quarter before Edgecombe’s jumper ignited an 18-8 run that put the hosts ahead by a dozen late in the period. Boston briefly got its deficit down to seven before Maxey dropped in a floater just before halftime.
About three minutes into the third quarter, Brown knocked down a 3-pointer to bring Boston within 65-54. However, Philadelphia countered with a flashy sequence in which Embiid’s behind-the-back pass set up an Oubre dunk and then George’s behind-the-back pass unleashed an Edgecombe slam to bring the crowd to its feet.
The Sixers went on to lead by as many as 21 points late in the third quarter before the Celtics inched within 82-63 heading into the fourth.
Philadelphia was up 88-65 with 10:24 remaining, but Boston then scored 11 straight points, capped by Luka Garza’s dunk with 7:10 to play.
However, it didn’t take the Sixers long to regain control. Edgecombe swished a 3-pointer to make it 98-78 and the home team cruised from there.
“It’s part of the playoffs. We have an opportunity for Game 7 at home,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We didn’t play well tonight. We’ve got to move on to the next game.”
–Field Level Media
