The NBA’s first round concluded over the weekend, with three Game 7s producing two historic comebacks as the Eastern Conference semi-finals take shape.
Sixers silence the critics
Joel Embiid posted 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists as the Philadelphia 76ers stunned the Boston Celtics 109-100 on Saturday night at TD Garden, completing only the 14th comeback from a 3-1 deficit in NBA playoff history.
Tyrese Maxey added 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, with his two driving layups in the final 90 seconds proving decisive as the Celtics crept to within one point in the fourth quarter.
VJ Edgecombe contributed 23 points in a performance that marked another chapter in a remarkable rookie postseason.
Embiid and Maxey became just the third duo in league history to each post 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a Game 7.
Embiid, returning from emergency appendectomy surgery that kept him out of the first three games, finished as the first player in NBA history to score 100 points in a playoff series despite missing its opening three games.
The Celtics were without Jayson Tatum, who was ruled out just before tip-off with left knee stiffness, and Joe Mazzulla overhauled his starting lineup entirely, handing debut playoff starts to Baylor Scheierman, Luka Garza and Ron Harper Jr.
The Sixers led 9-0 before Boston had scored and were never headed. Philadelphia’s 44-year wait for a playoff series win over Boston is over, and they move on to face the third-seeded New York Knicks in the second round. Game 1 is Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
“I just really wanted the ball,” Maxey said. “I knew I would need to step up and make plays down the stretch for us to win the game, so it just happened that way.”
Allen inspires Cavaliers
Jarrett Allen delivered the performance of his career as the Cleveland Cavaliers ended the Toronto Raptors’ season with a 114-102 Game 7 victory at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sunday.
Allen, playing in his first-ever Game 7, finished with 22 points and 19 rebounds and was the defining figure in a devastating third quarter where Cleveland outscored Toronto 38-19 to take control of the match from a tied position at half-time.
“That’s the best I’ve seen him,” said Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson. “The offensive rebounding. We needed the inside scoring. We needed someone else to step up besides James [Harden] and Don [Mitchell]. He was just absolutely incredible tonight.”
Donovan Mitchell added 22 points and James Harden 18, with the Cavs winning convincingly despite both star guards struggling with their efficiency.
Mitchell drew the wider lesson from that. “We’ve had 50-balls, we’ve had bad nights, but at the end of the day, we haven’t won. It isn’t just about me and him. It’s Jarrett, it’s Evan [Mobley]. It’s everybody in that locker room.”
Scottie Barnes scored 24 points for Toronto, with RJ Barrett adding 23 in the Raptors’ final game of the season – their campaign hampered throughout by injuries to Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley.
Cleveland advance to face the top-seeded Pistons in the East semi-finals, with Game 1 on Tuesday in Detroit.
Pistons complete comeback in Detroit
The Detroit Pistons became the second team this postseason – and the 15th in NBA history – to overcome a 3-1 series deficit, routing the Orlando Magic 116-94 in a roaring Little Caesars Arena to win their series and reach the East semi-finals for the first time since 2008.
Cade Cunningham was sensational for the second consecutive game with 32 points and 12 assists, becoming only the seventh player in NBA history to post 30 points and 10 assists in a Game 7.
Tobias Harris added 30 points and nine rebounds. Jalen Duren saved his best performance for the biggest occasion, finishing with 15 points and 15 rebounds.
“To come back from 3-1, odds against us, and to come back and win it at home feels good,” Cunningham said. “It feels really good.”
The Magic, who lost Franz Wagner to a right calf strain before Game 5, were unable to contain Cunningham without their most reliable defender on him.
Paolo Banchero scored Orlando’s first 11 points on the way to 38 points, nine rebounds and six assists, but received no meaningful support.
After the two teams were level at 45-45 in the second quarter, the Pistons went on a 26-6 run that ended any hope of an upset.
“I know who I am, I know who the team is,” Duren said. “When our back is against the wall, the whole world counts us out, that now it’s time to go. Now, it’s time to keep swinging. I never doubted anything. I never doubted the guys.”
