Injuries and Game 7 disappointments have defined much of the career of Joel Embiid over the last decade, but on Saturday night at TD Garden, he may have shifted that narrative. And he made his confidence clear even before tip-off, recreating a viral LeBron James moment from the 2016 Finals.
Embiid missed the first three games of the series, and his return initially did little to prevent the Philadelphia 76ers from falling behind 3-1. Payton Pritchard even suggested the Boston Celtics were not concerned about his comeback. However, Embiid’s presence ultimately flipped the series, something head coach Joe Mazzulla later acknowledged.
Embiid led from the front to force Game 7, then delivered a vintage performance in a 109–100 win to close out the series. He finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.
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Before the game, Embiid arrived dressed in all black, wearing sunglasses and headphones, a clear nod to James’ iconic entrance during the 2016 NBA Finals, when he helped the Cleveland Cavaliers complete a 3–1 comeback against the Golden State Warriors.
"I don't always wear shades, but I felt like it would be good to come out in Boston and beat them, so I wanted to dress all black," the 2023 MVP explained postgame. "If you want to compare that to what he did, that was amazing what he did. I think it was just a coincidence, allegedly," he said.
Given the Celtics' downplaying of his arrival early in the series, it was no surprise that Embiid was fired up and he not only made them pay on the floor, but on social media as well.
"ROUND 1. Boston, please be classy my friends! I still love and respect you!!," he wrote.
Embiid had never defeated the Celtics in a playoff series and was coming off three straight Game 7 losses. He isn't fully healthy yet, having undergone an emergency appendectomy in April, but on Saturday, nothing mattered as the 32-year-old took the team on his shoulders.
He was well supported, with Tyrese Maxey adding 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists while rookie V.J. Edgecombe added 23. The Celtics, meanwhile, had an epic collapse in the fourth quarter, going 1-of-12 FG in the final five minutes including a run of 10 straight misses.
Embiid and the 76ers now advance to the second round, and will face the New York Knicks in Estern Conference Semifinals starting Monday at the Madison Square Garden.
