76ers Force Game 7 with 106-93 Win Over Celtics, Powered by Tyrese Maxey’s 30 Points
The Philadelphia 76ers kept their season going with a strong 106-93 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 6 on Thursday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Tyrese Maxey led the way with 30 points, including 21 in the first half, along with five assists and two steals. Paul George added 23 points, pouring in 10 during a dominant third-quarter run that helped seize control.
Joel Embiid came close to a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. VJ Edgecombe and Kelly Oubre Jr. each chipped in 14 points and combined for 17 rebounds as the Sixers pushed the series to a decisive Game 7 on Saturday night in Boston.
Philadelphia flipped the script in the third quarter, outscoring Boston 24-14 to build an 82-63 lead. The Sixers looked poised for an even bigger margin, but Andre Drummond’s buzzer-beating three-pointer was waved off after the clock expired.
The second half started aggressively for Philly. Back-to-back dunks from Edgecombe and Oubre stretched the lead to 15 points. After a Celtics timeout and a Derrick White three, Oubre hit a jumper and George drained a three to push the advantage to 74-57 midway through the quarter.
Boston played the fourth without Jayson Tatum, who exited with left calf discomfort. He returned to the bench with ice on the area but did not re-enter. Tatum finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jaylen Brown paced the Celtics with 18 points, while Payton Pritchard added 14 off the bench. Boston struggled from beyond the arc, going just 12-for-41.
Both teams started slowly from the field. Philadelphia built an early 11-4 lead but cooled off from three-point range, allowing Boston to rally and take a 23-20 edge after the first quarter. The lead changed hands several times in the second before the Sixers pulled ahead for good, thanks to strong play from Maxey and George. Maxey’s hot shooting gave him 21 points by halftime, sending Philadelphia into the break up 58-49.
This comeback win comes after the Celtics had taken a 3-1 series lead. Now, with momentum on their side, the 76ers head to TD Garden looking to pull off another road upset and advance.