The NBA playoffs are always tough and demanding. Either you become the first team to win four games out of seven, or you’re out of the race. But when you are down by 1-3, you need something special to turn things around.

The Philadelphia 76ers just did that by beating the Boston Celtics in a seven-game classic to record the NBA’s 15th comeback from a 3-1 deficit, and Joel Embiid feels that this team is different.

“This is different,” Embiid said on Sunday after the historic seventh game, which ended in 109-100, in favor of the Philadelphia 76ers.

“The fight, it’s just there. … We’ve had good teams, but this feels pretty different. I think as long as we stay healthy and whatever game plan we have in the next series, we execute it, then we have a pretty good chance,” he added.

Embiid, who racked up a 34-point, 12-rebound, six-assist Game 7, was impressive for the Sixers. However, he was supported by Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, too. The three superstars combined scored 88 of the Sixers’ 109 points.

Maxey scored 30 points and had 11 rebounds, a 11-for-18 shooting rate, and seven assists in the game.

The NBA’s leader in minutes per game during the regular season played for 45 minutes in Game 7. His aggressive scoring at the rim in the final minutes secured the victory.

“I work extremely hard in the summer, man. … I’ve worked extremely hard on my body,” Maxey said after the game. His competitiveness and commitment have impressed the head coach, Nick Nurse, as well.

While Maxey and Embiid were impressive on the offence, Nurse was in awe of Edgecombe for how he stopped Derrick White on defense. Edgecombe, who not only scored 23 points in Game 7 but also did well defensively, as White shot just 3 for 18 against him

Behind the scenes was a coaching attitude that kept the Sixers grounded through every high and low.

How Nick Nurse Kept the Sixers Believing After Every Loss

Nurse feels that it’s their ability to bounce back even after the worst of defeats that makes this Sixers team different.

Not only that, their calibre to move on from each result, be it win or loss, has helped them focus on things in hand.

And, this can help them in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks, too.

“We go through some tough games during the year, and we seem to bounce back almost every time. We seem to kind of have that in us,” Nurse said.

“When you get a great win, who cares? The next game is going to be totally different. And when you get a bad loss, whether it’s by one or by 30, the score is what the score is in the series, and you’ve just got to get ready to play the next one,” Nurse added.

On May 4, 2026, the Philadelphia 76ers were gearing up to take on the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

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Written by

Koushik Biswas

Edited by

Utsav Gupta