The Boston Celtics’ championship aspirations vanished into the TD Garden rafters on Saturday night as they fell 109-100 to the Philadelphia 76ers in a heartbreaking Game 7. After squandering a 3-1 series lead, the Celtics became the latest victim of a historic collapse, allowing Philadelphia to erase a three-game deficit for the first time in their franchise’s history.
Playing without superstar Jayson Tatum — who was sidelined with knee stiffness — Boston navigated a do-or-die scenario without its primary engine. While Jaylen Brown (33 points) and Derrick White (26 points) turned in valiant efforts, the Celtics’ offense proved dangerously top-heavy, with only five players finding the scoresheet.
On the other side, Philadelphia’s star power rose to the occasion. Joel Embiid delivered a legacy-defining performance with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists to secure the first Game 7 victory of his career. He was flanked by a relentless Tyrese Maxey, who poured in 30 points, and a poised V.J. Edgecombe, whose 23 points provided the necessary punch to keep Boston at arm’s length.
Despite trailing by as much as 18 in the second half, the Celtics displayed the grit that defined their regular season, clawing back to within striking distance late in the fourth. However, the comeback remained unfinished; a late-game scoring drought allowed the 76ers to pull away and book a second-round date with the New York Knicks.
For Boston, the loss marks a somber conclusion to a season defined by remarkable resilience. Tatum’s return from a torn Achilles in under 300 days and Brown’s career-best campaign served as the backbone of a team that secured the No. 2 seed in the East. Yet, for a group that entered the spring with championship expectations, a first-round exit feels like a jarring regression.
Check out the highlights from Saturday night as Boston’s season came to an end.
Celtics vs. 76ers score 1234F76ers32233321109Celtics19312525100Celtics vs. 76ers live updates, highlights from Game 7Final: 76ers 109, Celtics 100
10:04 p.m.: The Celtics season has come to a shocking close, losing 109-100 in Game 7 to the 76ers.
Boston had a 3-1 lead in the series before losing three straight games, capped off by a Game 7 at home without Tatum. It’s a sour end to a season where the Celtics finished second in the East and had their superstar Tatum come back from an achilles injury, along with Brown having the best season of his career.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 3, 2026
The 76ers move on to the second round, where they will face the New York Knicks.
9:59 p.m.: Both Brown and White miss threes and Maxey gets fouled, sending him to the line, and the 76ers are inching towards a win.
With 20.2 seconds left, Maxey hits both free throws to extend the lead to seven.
9:58 p.m.: The Celtics have went cold down the stretch and are trailing by five with 30.5 seconds left.
They need a basket.
9:56 p.m.: Boston has had three great looks to take the lead, but all misses. Then, on the other end, Maxey hits a layup to extend the lead to three.
9:52 p.m.: There’s 4:08 remaining and the Sixers are leading by three.
Nurse is challenging a call on the court, where it looks like Derrick White touched the net going for the ball.
9:49 p.m.: With the score 97-96, Embiid is heading to the line for two shots.
9:43 p.m.: This game is coming down to the wire, with the Celtics trailing 95-91 with 6:15 left in the game.
9:40 p.m.: Brown has made it a one-possession game. It’s once again a foul on George, and No. 7 makes the shot on the follow through.
After he makes the free throw, it’s a one-point game.
9:39 p.m.: Queta gets fouled by George and makes the shot, along with the free throw, and it’s down to a four-point 76ers lead.
9:38 p.m.: After a foul on George, Brown finishes the attempt but gets hit by Embiid, going down and grabbing his knee. He’s trying to walk it off. There’s a review about whether it will be a technical on Embiid.
It’s ruled a technical foul, sending Pritchard to the line for one shot and the possession.
9:31 p.m.: The Celtics are off to a 9-2 start this quarter, trimming the 76ers lead down to six.
After a Brown layup, Nick Nurse calls a timeout with 9:22 remaining.
9:28 p.m.: The deficit is down to eight, with Hauser hitting a shot from the top of the key followed by stop and layup by White.
The crowd is back into it at TD Garden.
End of the third quarter: 76ers 88, Celtics 75
9:23 p.m.: White goes end-to-end to make a shot at the buzzer, and at the end of the third, the Celtics trail by 13.
With 12 minutes remaining, Boston will have to claw back to save the season.
9:22 p.m.: After Edgecombe hits a three, Brown makes one on the other end to make it 87-73.
The third is winding down.
9:17 p.m.: The lead is up to 18 for the 76ers, their largest lead of the night.
Mazzulla calls a timeout, with the Celtics needing a response fast to save the season.
9:11 p.m.: Momentum is well with Philadelphia, with Boston not being able to make a shot.
It’s 74-63 with 4:47 left in the third.
9:04 p.m.: Down 10, Pritchard hits a three to make it 65-58.
The Celtics are playing a small lineup on the floor, with Brown as the biggest player guarding Embiid,
8:59 p.m.: Boston has come out cold to start the second half as Philadelphia goes on an 8-0 run.
Both Queta and Garza have picked up fouls so far. The Celtics call a timeout and trail by 11.
8:55 p.m.: It’s time for the second half at TD Garden.
Let’s see how the teams come out of the locker room.
Halftime: 76ers 55, Celtics 50
8:39 p.m.: The first half comes to a close with the Celtics trailing by five.
While Boston got back into the game in the second quarter, Embiid’s 19 points led the way for Philadelphia. It’s a close game as the teams head to the locker rooms.
There’s 24 minutes left to decide who moves onto the second round.
8:37 p.m.: White hits a three to make it a one-score game, then on the other end Brown makes a block on Maxey.
8:36 p.m.: Now, Queta has his third foul and heads to the bench.
Embiid hits two more free throws to make it 53-47.
8:35 p.m.: Gonzalez picks up his third foul of the game with 1:42 left in the first half, sending Embiid to the line.
He hits one to put Philadelphia back up six.
8:26 p.m.: With 3:34 to play in the first half, the Celtics trail by five.
It’s been a back-and-forth affair with Boston getting back into the game. The Celtics are up to 47% from the field compared to Philadelphia’s 55%.
8:20 p.m.: The Celtics have their first lead of the game, with Pritchard drilling a triple to make it 37-36.
The TD Garden crowd is into the game.
8:18 p.m.: It’s a one-possession game.
White knocks down a three after an Embiid miss, then on the other end there’s an offensive foul on Kelly Oubre.
8:16 p.m.: It’s a five-point game after Pritchard fakes out Embiid then knocks home a floater.
Boston is on a 10-2 run.
8:10 p.m.: Hugo Gonzalez has provided some energy off the bench, drawing an offensive foul on Philadelphia to get the crowd in it. Then, White hits his second consecutive basket and sixth consecutive point. He has 13 as Boston is within single digits.
After a Neemias Queta basket, Nick Nurse calls a timeout with the game 34-27.
End of the first quarter: 76ers 32, Celtics 19
8:03 p.m.: The Celtics can’t get a shot off to end the quarter, and at the end of one trail by 13.
Without Tatum, Boston’s offense has been held to a low-scoring first. Brown leads scorers with eight as the Celtics are shooting 35% from the field and 17% from three.
Joe Mazzulla’s squad needs to get the offense going in the second.
7:56 p.m.: With 2:38 left to play in the first, the Celtics trail by 10.
Philadelphia has 10 assists in the contest so far.
7:52 p.m.: Down eight, Brown is heading to the line for two shots. The foul is on Maxey, his second early in the game.
7:50 p.m.: Boston is down double digits early, trailing 17-6 after a Philadelphia bucket.
There’s 5:46 left in the first.
7:45 p.m.: With the Sixers up nine, Payton Pritchard comes on and hits his first shot of the game. It’s 13-6.
7:41 p.m.: The Celtics are on the board, with Derrick White canning a three.
On the other end, Maxey gets open in transition and it’s 11-3.
7:40 p.m.: With the game 6-0 early on, Harper Jr. makes a huge steal to prevent an Embiid bucket. But, Boston is looking for its first basket.
7:38 p.m.: Philadelphia has the first four points of the game, with Joel Embiid opening the scoring.
7:37 p.m.: We are underway in Boston.
Follow along for live updates as the Celtics look to get to the second round.
7:33 p.m.: The Celtics have three players making their first playoff start tonight, with the stakes at its highest.
Career postseason starts:
Baylor Scheierman – 0
Ron Harper Jr. – 0
Luka Garza – 0 https://t.co/k7ivIDyPCx
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 2, 2026
It’s time for Game 7.
7:27 p.m.: Here are Boston’s starters, with a few changes.
Starters for Game 7️⃣@DraftKings pic.twitter.com/iR1uWxYR8Y
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 2, 2026
In Tatum’s absence, Ron Harper Jr. and Baylor Scheierman will need to step up on the wings.
7:25 p.m.: Let’s revisit Boston’s recent Game 7s.
The Celtics have been dominant in recent winner-take-all scenarios, winning three of their last four Game 7s behind historic individual performances. While they secured a Finals berth in 2022 with a gritty road win in Miami and saw Jayson Tatum drop a record-breaking 51 points against Philly in 2023, they most recently fell to the Heat at home later those playoffs.
Across these matchups, the team has relied on a mix of superstar scoring and unexpected role-player heroics to advance through the Eastern Conference. Tonight, the Celtics will need to do it without Tatum.
7:20 p.m.: It’s almost time for Game 7.
It all comes down to this…GAME 7 ☘️ pic.twitter.com/Vx9hRduKBq
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 2, 2026
7:08 p.m.: The Celtics hold the NBA record for both the most Game 7 appearances (37) and the most Game 7 wins (27). Their historical dominance in winner-take-all scenarios is a cornerstone of the franchise’s identity, especially when playing at TD Garden (or the original Boston Garden).
As of today, May 2, 2026, the Celtics are attempting to add to this history, as they face the Philadelphia 76ers tonight in a decisive Game 7 of the first round.
6:56 p.m.: The Celtics are on the court, with tipoff for Game 7 less than an hour away.
NO. 7 READY FOR… GAME 7 😤
JB in the series vs. PHI: 24.5 PPG (leads team)
📺 Tipoff is set for 7:30 PM ET on NBC and Peacock! pic.twitter.com/hXpq0PjWy3
— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2026
6:47 p.m.: On the other side, the Philadelphia 76ers enter Game 7 looking to reach the second round for the first time since 2023, when they beat the Brooklyn Nets.
FIRST GAME 7 AS A TRIO 👀
Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid arrive at TD Garden!
🆚 SIXERS/CELTICS GAME 7
📺 7:30 PM ET, NBC and Peacock
🍿 NBA Playoffs presented by @Google pic.twitter.com/hXWvDJ0AKI
— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2026
In the second round, the 76ers lost to the Celtics in seven games.
6:34 p.m.: Tonight’s scene.
TD Garden has Celtics Playoffs T-shirts on every seat for Game 7.
–@CLNSMedia pic.twitter.com/SVQPhQJtuW
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) May 2, 2026
6:21 p.m.: Here’s what head coach Joe Mazzulla had to say about Tatum being out for Game 7.
Joe Mazzulla on Jayson Tatum’s injury:
“He just came in today with knee discomfort. The medical team and myself decided for him not to play.” https://t.co/eCXpMwwvVl pic.twitter.com/lJ9tDax4bh
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) May 2, 2026
6:15 p.m.: Without Tatum, Jaylen Brown will need to run the show for Boston, as was the case for the majority of this season.
Like it was early this season, it’s Jaylen Brown’s show to run.
Jayson Tatum out. JB back as the number one option. @wmur9 #differenthere pic.twitter.com/1Y9N9FpPyP
— Ian Steele (@IanSteeleWMUR) May 2, 2026
Brown put up career highs in points this season, averaging 28.7 per game.
6:00 p.m.: Some brutal news for the Celtics and their fans: Jayson Tatum is out for Saturday night’s game with a knee injury. Boston is calling it left knee stiffness.
Breaking: Jayson Tatum is OUT for Game 7 tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers with a left leg injury, the Celtics announced. pic.twitter.com/RwRDBxbdm9
— ESPN (@espn) May 2, 2026
In a do-or-die game, the Celtics will be without one of their superstars.
How to watch Celtics vs. 76ers Game 7: TV channel, live stream
Celtics vs. 76ers will air nationally on NBC on Saturday night as the standalone game. Fans looking to stream the game can find it on Peacock or DIRECTV.
Peacock features live coverage of NFL Sunday Night Football, the NBA, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Premier League soccer, Big Ten football and basketball, Notre Dame football, Big East and Big 12 basketball, PGA Tour golf, the Tour de France and more.
Celtics vs. 76ers Game 7 start timeDate: Saturday, May 1Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Game 7 between Boston and Philadelphia is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 1. The game will be played at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Celtics vs. 76ers schedule: 76ers win 4-3DateGameTime (ET)WatchApril 19Game 1: Celtics 123, 76ers 91——April 21Game 2: 76ers 111, Celtics 97——April 24Game 3: Celtics 108, 76ers 100——April 26Game 4: Celtics 128, 76ers 96— April 28Game 5: 76ers 113, Celtics 97——April 30Game 6: 76ers 106, Celtics 93——May 2Game 7: 76ers 109, Celtics 100——More Celtics