Late Celtics rally falls short as they drop Game 7 and exit playoffs early
The Boston Celtics stumbled at the finish line and couldn't stop the Philadelphia 76ers from completing a furious 3-1 series comeback.
BOSTON — Despite trailing the Philadelphia 76ers by as many as 18 points on Saturday night, the Boston Celtics had multiple opportunities to extend their season. But, they failed to take advantage of them down the stretch, and the Green Team fell 109-100 in Game 7 of the first-round series at TD Garden. The disappointing defeat marks the Celtics' first blown 3-1 lead in the playoffs ever.
It also resulted in their earliest exit from the postseason since 2021. They had a poor start to the contest but battled back in the second quarter to eventually trail 55-50 at halftime. Boston even got Philly's lead down to 1 point late in the fourth quarter with less than 4 minutes remaining.
It almost seemed like the Celtics could complete the comeback when point guard Payton Pritchard attempted an open 3-pointer from the corner with 2:19 left, but the shot didn't fall. From there, Sixers star Tyrese Maxey scored 4 points over Philadelphia's next two possessions, essentially sealing the win and the series. Maxey finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists while 2023 MVP Joel Embiid notched a game-high 34 points to go along with 12 rebounds to send the seventh-seeded Sixers to the second round.
As for the Celtics, star Jaylen Brown recorded a team-high 33 points without his on-court partner in crime active, as star forward Jayson Tatum was sidelined with left knee stiffness. His presence could've changed the game for the Celtics, however, they'll instead enter the offseason much earlier than they wanted to. Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Blue Wire: https://tiny.