Celtics star gives surprising reaction to 76ers forcing Game 7

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Celtics star gives surprising reaction to 76ers forcing Game 7

Brian Robb · MassLive

Fri, May 1, 2026 ·

3 min read

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PHILADELPHIA — Jaylen Brown is no stranger to Game 7s in his Celtics career. He’s played in eight of them during his career, dating back to his rookie season in 2017.

However, Saturday’s Game 7 showdown with the 76ers feels a little different than the others. Boston held a commanding 3-1 series lead before ugly double digit losses to the 76ers in Game 5 and Game 6. With Joel Embiid rounding into form during that stretch after missing the start of the series due to appendicitis, Philadelphia has the momentum and a potential edge heading into the Game 7 in Boston.

Despite that backdrop, Brown took a very optimistic approach as the series shifts back to Boston in the wake of a ugly Game 6 loss.

“We just gotta be better,” Brown said. “All things considered, we’re in a great spot. Going home for a Game 7. Expecting a great atmosphere. Expecting a great fight from our group. The last two games wasn’t the best. But, you know, you move on. I’m looking forward to it. I’m excited for Game 7.”

When pressed about why he felt the Celtics were in a great spot despite blowing a 3-1 lead, Brown credited the Sixers while showing faith in his team.

“It’s the playoffs,” Brown said. “All things considered, they’re a good team. They’ve been playing well. Defensively, they’ve been guarding well. They’ve had a good game plan. Obviously, we expected to be better in spots. We haven’t. We can’t get our head down. We gotta come out and have our best performance of the series on our home floor. That’s the most important thing.”

The Celtics will need a bounce back performance from Brown who has been playing far short of his All-NBA level play from the regular season. He’s shooting just 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range in Boston’s last two losses while tallying eight turnovers.

“I think we’re playing into their hands a little bit,” Brown said. “I definitely think, even myself, the type of shots, the type of things they want us to do. That’s not what we’ve been doing all year. But maybe a shift in your approach can open some stuff up offensively for us. I think that’s what we need, the need for me to be dynamic.”

There won’t be much time for Boston to turn things around with just one day off before Game 7 but Brown is looking forward to the challenge.

“Nothing is gonna be easy,” Brown said. “Nothing’s gonna be given. We gotta break it. Their comfort level is higher right now. Their confidence is high right now. They got a different swag to them, and we gotta take that. They’re not gonna give us anything, so we gotta be the team that throws the first punch, and that starts with me. I gotta come out with a great force. I gotta play smart. I gotta pick and choose my spots a little bit better and try to find ways to open up stuff for our team.”

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