The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 106-93 in Game 6 on Thursday, forcing a Game 7 in their first-round series. The 76ers trailed 3-1 after the first four games, but have turned things around following strong performances from Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey finished Thursday’s game with 30 points and five assists, shooting 11-for-22. Embiid recorded 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Paul George also scored 23 points.
Embiid spoke to the media after Game 6 about the upcoming do-or-die matchup against the Celtics.
“I’ve been playing these guys for so long,” Embiid said. “I’m tired of losing to them. So we have a chance to accomplish something special. They’re a great team. You look at everything they have. That’s a super team. We just gotta go in with the mindset that we’ve had for the last two games. One play at a time. Tough environment, but we’ve been there. We won two games over there.”
The 76ers have held Boston’s leading scorer Jaylen Brown to 40% shooting over the last three games. Brown is averaging 24.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum, who returned from an Achilles tear this season is averaging 23.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.
Joel Embiid and Co. could end the 76ers’ 44-year playoff win drought against the Boston Celtics
The 76ers have not won a playoff series against the Celtics in the last 44 years, with their last win coming in the 1982 Eastern Conference Finals. The teams have played each other in six series since then.
Joel Embiid is 0-3 against the Boston Celtics in the playoffs, losing to them in 2018, 2020 and 2023. Embiid missed the first four games of this series after undergoing an emergency appendectomy ahead of the playoffs.
He has recorded 29.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game with the 76ers facing elimination. Game 7 will take place at the TD Garden on Saturday, tipping off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Fans can catch the action live on NBC and Peacock.
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