Joel Embiid, 76ers Beat Celtics in Game 7 as NBA Fans React to Historic Comeback Series Win

The Philadelphia 76ers have completed the franchise's first comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.

The Sixers fended off a late push by the Boston Celtics to secure an 109-100 Game 7 win on Saturday night in Boston.

The Sixers will now advance to face the New York Knicks in the second round.

The Celtics got within one point late in the fourth, but Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard both missed chances to get their team a lead for the first time since the second quarter.

Tyrese Maxey then helped the Sixers close out the win over a Celtics team missing Jayson Tatum to injury.

The loss marked the Celtics' first blown 3-1 series lead, as well as Brown's first opening-round series loss as an active player.

The Celtics' shooting struggles started early Saturday night. The home team shot just 2-for-12 from deep in the first quarter as the Sixers climbed out to an early 13-point lead.

Brown helped the Celtics chip away at that lead during the second quarter, but the Sixers stayed in the lead in large part thanks to a Joel Embiid's efforts on both offense and defense during his 19-point first half.

Brown led the Celtics on a 9-2 run early in the fourth quarter to help his team climb within one point late in regulation.

The Celtics were unable to find the clutch bucket they needed before Maxey iced the game with two late buckets.

Brown and Derrick White combined for 59 points as Tatum, who made a surprisingly early comeback from Achilles surgery in March, was sidelined with left knee stiffness.

The Celtics finished the loss having shot 40 percent from the field and just 27 percent from deep.

Embiid led the Sixers with 34 points and 12 rebounds, while Maxey contributed 30 points and 11 rebounds. VJ Edgecombe set a franchise rookie Game 7 record with 23 points.

A pressing question for the Sixers going forward will be the health of Embiid, who took some accidental contact from Maxey late in the fourth quarter and was limping in the final minutes of the Game 7 victory.

Having both Maxey and Embiid available will be key to the Sixers' hopes of succeeding against Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony-Towns when their Eastern Conference semifinals series tips off Monday at 8 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden.