One of the most epic comebacks in NBA history: 76ers knock off Celtics

An earthquake is coming in Massachusetts. The Philadelphia 76ers staged one of the most epic comebacks in the history of the NBA by knocking off the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the first round of the 2025-2026 Playoffs.

In the seventh and decisive game, the 76ers, who were down 3-1 in the series, consummated their comeback by winning at Boston's TD Garden (100-109) and advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

In addition, Philadelphia, which will face the New York Knicks in the next round of the NBA Playoffs, finally gets revenge on a franchise that eliminated it three times in the last decade (2018, 2020 and 2023).

Embiid's return, a determining factor

The 76ers' comeback has a clear protagonist: Joe Embiid. The American center, although born in Cameroon, rushed to reach the decisive stretch of the 2025-2026 course after a year marked by injuries, he could only play 38 games in the regular season.

Embiid's return was decisive in tipping the scales in the 76ers' favor, as his rivals acknowledged. In the final game, the star of the Pennsylvania franchise captured a colossal double-double (34 points and 12 rebounds).

"What has changed in this series is the return of Joel Embiid. The team is completely transformed with him," Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said.

In this latest matchup, Tyrese Maxey served as Embiid's comrade-in-arms. also recording a double-double (30 points and 11 rebounds), while V. J. Edgecombe dropped 23 points.

What could also have been decisive was the absence of Jayson Tatum. Without their star on the parquet, the Celtics had Jaylen Brown as the top man (33 points).