By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net
The Philadelphia 76ers extended their playoff hopes with a commanding 106–93 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night, forcing a Game 7 in their first-round series. The decisive matchup is set for Saturday in Boston.
Tyrese Maxey delivered a standout performance, leading all scorers with 27 points, including an explosive 21-point first half. He also contributed five assists and two steals, setting the tone early for Philadelphia. Paul George added 23 points, catching fire in the third quarter with a 10-point burst that helped swing momentum decisively in the Sixers’ favor.
Philadelphia leaned heavily on perimeter shooting, a strategy that paid off. George knocked down five of his eight attempts from beyond the arc, while Maxey connected on three of five from deep. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid came close to a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. VJ Edgecombe and Kelly Oubre Jr. each chipped in 14 points and combined for 18 rebounds, providing valuable support on both ends of the floor.
The turning point came in the third quarter, when the 76ers outscored Boston 24–14 to build a commanding 82–63 lead. The margin could have been even wider, but Andre Drummond’s buzzer-beating three-pointer was waved off after replay review.
Philadelphia came out of halftime with intensity, quickly stretching the lead to 15 points with consecutive dunks from Edgecombe and Oubre. Although Boston briefly slowed the run with a three-pointer from Derrick White, the Sixers responded with an Oubre jumper and another three from George to maintain control.
Boston faced an additional setback in the fourth quarter when Jayson Tatum exited the game due to discomfort in his left calf. Though he returned to the bench with ice applied, he did not re-enter the game. Tatum finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, but with the Celtics trailing by a wide margin, there was little incentive to risk further injury.
The game began with both teams struggling offensively, despite an energized home crowd in Philadelphia. The Sixers initially focused on feeding Embiid inside, but the offense shifted toward perimeter shooting as the game progressed. After building an early lead, Philadelphia allowed Boston to respond late in the first quarter, with the Celtics closing on a 7–0 run to take a narrow advantage.
The second quarter featured multiple lead changes before the Sixers regained control. A key stretch, highlighted by Maxey’s scoring and a three-pointer from George, allowed Philadelphia to carry a 58–49 lead into halftime.
From there, the Sixers never looked back, maintaining their composure and capitalizing on Boston’s struggles to secure the win—and set the stage for a decisive Game 7 showdown.
NBA Playoffs 2026
Eastern Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
1. Detroit Pistons – Orlando Magic 2-3 (101-112, 98-83, 105-113, 88-94, 116-109)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers – Toronto Raptors 3-2 (126-113, 115-105, 104-126, 89-93, 125-120)
3. New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks 4-2 (113-102, 106-107, 108-109, 114-98, 126-97, 89-140)
4. Boston Celtics – Philadelphia 76ers 3-3 (123-91, 97-111, 108-100, 128-96, 97-113, 106-93)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
5. Winners 1-2
6. Winners 3-4
Finals (best-of-seven)
Winners of Semifinals
Western Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
1. Oklahoma City Thunder – Phoenix Suns 4-0 (119-84, 120-107, 121-109, 131-122)
2. Los Angeles Lakers – Houston Rockets 3-1 (107-98, 101-94, 112-108, 96-115)
3. Denver Nuggets – Minnesota Timberwolves 2-3 (126-115, 114-119, 96-113, 96-112, 125-113)
4. San Antonio Spurs – Portland Trail Blazers 4-1 (111-98, 103-106, 120-108, 114-93, 114-95)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder – Winner 2
6. San Antonio Spurs – Winner 3
Finals (best-of-seven)
Winners of Semifinals
NBA Finals 2026 (best-of-seven)
Eastern Conference and Western Conference champions
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