Sixers Notes: Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe

It finally happened. The Sixers didn’t just beat the Celtics. They flipped history on its head.

Philadelphia became the first No. 7 seed in the East to knock off a No. 2 seed since the first round went to best-of-seven in 2003. They also became just the 14th team ever to come back from a 3-1 hole, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

And here’s the wild part: The Sixers were 0-18 all time in 3-1 deficits. The Celtics were 32-0 when up 3-1.

Something had to give. It did.

It had also been 44 years since Philadelphia beat Boston in a playoff series. Six tries. All losses. Even with Joel Embiid in the mix.

“It feels good to win,” Embiid said. “Obviously, we got a bigger goal in mind. But finally beating these guys feels pretty good.”

Game 7 for Ages

If you’re wondering how it happened, start here: Embiid was everywhere. Again.

Fresh off an emergency appendectomy just weeks ago, he returned in Game 4 and changed the entire series. By Game 7, he was in full control. He finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes and looked like the best player on the floor.

And he wasn’t alone. Tyrese Maxey delivered one of the best Game 7 performances you’ll see. Thirty points. Eleven rebounds. Seven assists.

That combo? Never been done before by teammates in a Game 7, per Bontemps.

“I just really wanted the ball,” Maxey said. “I just felt like it was time for me to step up and make a play.”

He did more than that. He slammed the door.

Belief Through Injuries

This hasn’t been a smooth ride.

The Sixers dealt with injuries all season and still finished 45-37. Even in Game 7, Embiid appeared to tweak his knee late, though he brushed it off afterward, as Tony Jones reported.

But inside that locker room, there was never much doubt.

“We’ve had this weird swag about us all year,” Maxey said, via Jones. “We’ve had this confidence in that we know who we can be.”

That belief showed up when it mattered most.

Edgecombe Steps Up

And then there was the rookie. VJ Edgecombe didn’t just contribute. He made a difference.

Twenty-three points. Six rebounds. Four assists. And maybe more importantly, he asked for the challenge defensively.

After Derrick White lit it up early, Edgecombe took the assignment. In the third quarter, White went 1-of-7.

“A lot of that was VJ,” coach Nick Nurse said, via Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Those are the things that make a huge difference in games like this.”

Moving On Up

Boston was supposed to be one of the favorites in the East.

Instead, they’re done.

Philadelphia took control of the final three games and never looked back, with Embiid dominating the middle and Maxey closing like a star, as Derek Bodner noted.

Now comes New York in Round 2. Suddenly, the Sixers don’t look like a seven seed anymore. They look like a problem.