It’s been a long 44 years for the Philadelphia 76ers and their fans. The Sixers and Celtics are the most played playoff matchup of all time. A postseason rivalry that goes back 73 years, when Philadelphia’s franchise was the Syracuse Nationals. Over the past seven decades, the franchises have traded playoff blows, with Boston being on the winning side recently.

That 44 year drought looked likely to continue following a 32 point Celtics win in game four to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. With the series shifting back to Boston, many experts and fans envisioned Boston closing out the Sixers once again, and moving to the second round.

The Sixers came out swinging in game five, as Joel Embiid’s 33 point performance propelled them to an impressive 16 point victory. Philadelphia’s game five win planted the seed of doubt within the Celtics, as a game six victory on their home floor would force a toss-up winner-takes-all game seven back in Boston.

After losing the previous two home games to Boston in Philadelphia, the Sixers were poised to defend home court this time around. They did just that, with Maxey dropping 30 points and yet another stellar defensive performance from the team, holding the prolific Boston Celtics offense to under 100 points yet again.

Game seven saw the series shift back to Boston, and still, many expecting the Celtics to close out the series. The Celtics were dealt a massive blow when they ruled superstar forward Jayson Tatum out for the series finale. 

Game 7

The Sixers controlled the game from the tip, and Joel Embiid putting on a vintage performance put them in prime position to win the game. Boston had a strong push late in the game to make it competitive, but ultimately 34 points and 12 rebounds from Joel Embiid was enough to send Philadelphia through to the next round.

No one expected the Philadelphia 76ers to win this series. They entered the postseason with question marks surrounding Joel Embiid’s ability to play at all. Even after the Sixers pulled out a surprising game two victory, most analysts still picked Boston to win in five. Stephen A. Smith said on First Take “

But I don’t think this is a concern. I’ve seen the Celtics lose games and then, all of a sudden, they answer the call,” and added “I’m not concerned at all.”

Stephen A.’s sentiment was one that many in the basketball world shared. No one gave the Sixers a shot coming into the series, and especially after they found themselves in a 3-1 hole. As a franchise, Philadelphia has never come back from such a deficit, and their comeback marked the 14th time its ever been done. 

The story of this comeback is one of resilience and perseverance, against all odds. The Philadelphia 76ers were never the betting favorite, never picked by analysts, and never expected to win by fans. 

Between Joel Embiid’s injury concerns, the powerhouse that the Boston Celtics were, the seemingly insurmountable series deficit, the Philadelphia 76ers 3-1 comeback is one that will be remembered for years to come. They look to rewrite history again as they currently find themselves down 2-0 in the conference semifinals against the New York Knicks.

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