The Philadelphia 76ers are moving on. Joel Embiid and the Sixers completed one of the rarest turnarounds in NBA history Saturday, beating the Boston Celtics in Game 7 to erase a 3-1 series deficit and advance in the playoffs.
Philadelphia becomes just the 14th team in NBA history to come back from that deep a hole. The feat has happened only a handful of times across decades of playoff basketball, and the 76ers now belong to that short list.
The win caps a remarkable reversal for a franchise that spent much of the postseason staring at elimination. Down three games to one, the Sixers won three straight to knock out the defending champions and punch their ticket to the next round.
Embiid was central to the comeback throughout. The big man, who has spent years chasing playoff success in Philadelphia, delivered when the series was on the line. The Celtics, who entered the series as heavy favorites, could not hold off the Sixers when it mattered most.
Game 7 was described as thrilling, with Philadelphia holding on to close out the series. The Celtics had home-court advantage and history on their side entering the deciding game, but neither was enough.
The loss ends Boston's title defense. The Celtics had been one of the most dominant teams in the league during the regular season and entered the playoffs among the favorites to repeat. Instead, they are going home after one of the more stunning upsets of this postseason.
For Philadelphia, the road ahead continues. The Sixers will await their next opponent after earning a series win that few saw coming when they fell behind 3-1.
