Joel Embiid makes candid remark before facing Celtics in Game 7

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Joel Embiid makes candid remark before facing Celtics in Game 7

Souichi Terada · MassLive

Fri, May 1, 2026 ·

4 min read

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The 76ers looked like they were headed to the offseason following a blowout Game 4 loss. The Celtics snatched the commanding 3-1 series lead and Game 5 was set in Boston . But instead, the Sixers rallied to win the last two games, including in blowout fashion in Game 6 .

The C’s and Sixers will play in a Game 7 for the second straight playoff series between these two division rivals. Former MVP big man Joel Embiid made a candid remark ahead of the 7:30 p.m. Saturday matchup at TD Garden.

“I’ve been playing these guys for so long,” Embiid said. “I’m tired of losing to them. So we have a chance to accomplish something special. They’re a great team. You look at everything they have. That’s a super team. We just gotta go in with the mindset that we’ve had for the last two games. One play at a time. Tough environment, but we’ve been there. We won two games over there.”

Embiid has long been honest about the Celtics vs. Sixers rivalry in that Boston seemingly always comes out on top. The C’s aren’t quite the super team like the past few years, but there’s no denying some of the talent still on the team. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the headliners like they have been this decade. But compared to the past two years of the C’s, it’s clear they’re missing some of those veterans who played crucial rotation minutes.

The series means extra for Embiid, who’s taken his losses to the C’s over the years. This is the fourth playoff series between the teams with Embiid on the Sixers — the Celtics are a perfect 3-0 against him. The closest Embiid came to toppling the C’s came in the 2023 East semifinals, when the Sixers blew a 3-2 series lead. But the roles are reversed now as the 76ers are trying to make the 3-1 series comeback.

“It’s fun competing,” Embiid said. “I’m excited. The one thing I’ll say fans have been amazing. Going into Boston is going to be tough as always. It’s a fun crowd. It’s fun making big shots over there. Everybody being quiet. I’m just enjoying everything that I can. But it’s fun winning. Gotta keep this going.”

It was all Sixers for Game 6 on Thursday, blowing the C’s out when their starters were still in the game. Boston’s reserves made the game somewhat interesting late and the score respectable, but Philadelphia was the better team for the majority of the night. That follows up a spirited effort from the Sixers in Game 5, where the Celtics fell apart in the fourth quarter of the loss.

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The Celtics still have one more chance to end Philadelphia’s season with Game 7. It’s just now the C’s are facing elimination for the first time in these playoffs. They can right some of their wrongs if they’re able to win Saturday, though the Sixers seemingly have all the momentum after the past two games.

“Sometimes it’s not about the Xs and Os, it’s about the Jims and the Joes,” Tyrese Maxey said. “Who you have on your team, our Jims and Joes got to be better than theirs. It’s going to be a dogfight. It’s going to be extremely difficult. Every single second will be a roller coaster ride. Us as a group, we have to stay connected. Stay with one goal in mind — that’s you’re trying to win the game.”

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