As soon as the Philadelphia 76ers realized they belonged, it all clicked. Belonged where, you may ask. To the postseason. The last time Joel Embiid cleared the first round was in 2023. That same season, the Boston Celtics had knocked them out in Game 7 of the conference semifinals. When we then expected progress, the Sixers won only 24 times the following season. It’s safe to say that they really had a chip on their shoulder this time after making the playoffs in 2026. But how were they to overcome an in-form Jaylen Brown and reinvigorated Jayson Tatum while Embiid recovered from an appendectomy?

All they needed was confidence. With Tyrese Maxey having a career year alongside the ever-so-lively rookie VJ Edgecombe, this team has the skill. But when Embiid was ruled out before the play-in, they were sure breathing heavy. That same tension carried over into the Celtics series, and they lost two of the first three, after which The Process returned. But by then, the 2024 Champs were feeling good about themselves and started dissing Philly. Boston also won Game 4, making it 3-1. Surely, who loses from there? Embiid remembered every single word they uttered, and he was sure to give them a return gift after Game 7.

Joel Embiid mockingly credits the Celtics for not caring enough

In a performance for the ages, the 76ers completed a massive comeback to eliminate the Celtics. While the victory was a reflection of the Sixers’ resilience that had dimmed in recent seasons, it was also a story of a fresh grudge. Following the clincher, Embiid revealed that his dominant play was sparked by what he perceived as a lack of respect from the Celtics’ locker room. The turning point of the series may have happened before Embiid even stepped onto the court.

During the lead-up to Game 3, with Embiid’s status still questionable, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard dismissed the impact of the 32-year-old’s return. “I don’t think we talked about it all, if he plays, he plays,” Pritchard said at the time. “We’ll figure that out. It’s not like we’re sitting here worried if he’s playing or not… we haven’t even game-planned for him yet.”

Embiid kept all those receipts and didn’t bring them out until the dust of Game 7 settled. In his post-game press conference, after scoring 34 points and 12 rebounds, The Process directly addressed Pritchard by his jersey number, calling out his dismissive comments. “I saw No. 11 on the team before I came back, he said, they didn’t care if I was playing or not and hadn’t even adjusted or had some sort of game plan around me,” Embiid said with a smirk.

The Sixer went on to explain how that lack of preparation played right into his hands! “I think it also helps that, you know, when the other team doesn’t worry about you and have some sort of game plan or being prepared for you,” Embiid said. “So it helps you have better games. So I thank you, No. 11, for that.” It’s worth understanding why Pritchard might’ve said that and where exactly Embiid is accurate.

The Sixers are a different team, faster and more athletic when it’s the Maxey-Edgecombe duo. When Embiid is on the floor, they’re slower, but spread out. In the 38 regular-season games with Embiid this season, the team was .632. Without him, they drop to .477. Their shooting stats are similar with or without him, showing the team’s ability to adjust to his availability. But Pritchard wasn’t the only one to take a jab at Embiid while the first-round series was on…

Jaylen Brown even admitted on his live stream, “Personally, they may be a little better without Embiid. I’m not sure, but they’re doing all this, and they’ve been playing well. Finding an identity. So we’ll see if the big fella [Embiid] comes back. I think they’ve been doing a good job.” Pritchard couldn’t have foreseen it in Game 3 after the 76ers were down that the Celtics were massively undersized to take on the 7-foot center. And contrary to what he claimed, they were, in fact, not prepared for Embiid’s return. Brown also admitted last night that they had no answer for The Process. That wasn’t the end of it, though.

Brown took a shot at Embiid again, saying, “He also was flopping around. He got some extra calls and stuff like that, and they rewarded him for that. But that’s the league that we’re in. So that’s all I got to say.” The disparity in impact was staggering as the series progressed. While Pritchard struggled under the bright lights, averaging just 13.0 points on 41% shooting and a cold 20% from beyond the arc over the final three games, Embiid authored a historic return.

Despite missing the first three contests, Embiid became the first player in NBA history to score 100 points in a playoff series after missing the opening three games. Here’s how it all went down last night and in the lead-up.

How Joel Embiid exorcised Philadelphia’s demons

By closing out Game 7, 109-100, the 76ers became just the fifth team in NBA history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit to win a playoff round. The mountain they climbed was not just about the scoreboard, but about a history of failure against their rivals from the North. Embiid had a 0–3 record in playoff series against Boston, having lost in 2018, 2020, and 2023. “Obviously, I was 0 and 3 in Game 7s. So, just wanted to bring the energy tonight.” Embiid noted, acknowledging the personal stakes. The team itself had not bested Boston in a playoff series since 1982, making this win a long-awaited reckoning for Philadelphia loyalists.

In those years, when the Celtics beat Embiid, they had the cheat code in Al Horford, who’s currently with the Golden State Warriors. But when he suited up in green, Horford was Embiid’s nightmare. After disbanding the 2024 championship squad, the Celtics didn’t get a Horford-level Embiid stopper. Last night’s clinching win was a masterclass in co-star excellence. Embiid and Maxey etched their names into the record books, becoming only the third duo in league history to each record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in a Game 7.

On the other hand, the Celtics’ experiments fell flat. Not too long ago, head coach Joe Mazzulla was ripped apart on social media for not winning Game 6 and closing the series. He had benched his starters all throughout the fourth quarter. The tactical maneuvering carried into this game, too, last night, and three players received their first postseason starts ever: Ron Harper Jr., Luka Garza, and Baylor Scheierman. In retrospect, some fans may say it worked because they cut an 18-point deficit to one in the fourth frame. However, the Celtics missed crucial shots at the end that cost them dearly.

The emotional feat that this is for Philadelphia can’t be summarized in words, but it’s palpable. Embiid’s postseason injury history dictated the mood of the home crowd. In 2025, he was sidelined with a season-ending knee injury, but played through injuries in the Sixers-Knicks series in 2024. At the time, the home games had more New Yorkers who vocally overpowered the locals. The kind of atmosphere that has followed them might be the subconscious reason Payton Pritchard sounded overconfident.

Sixers Nation has been looking for an adrenaline boost. Who knew Embiid bouncing back, and appealing home fans for numbers, from an appendectomy in 17 days would be that!

While the ‘VJ-Max’ duo was exciting, we finally got the much-awaited Maxey-Embiid combination, and they didn’t disappoint. They now prepare for a high-stakes showdown against the New York Knicks, carrying the momentum of a historic comeback and a big man who proved exactly why opponents should never forget to game-plan for him.