When was the last time 76ers played in Eastern Conference finals?

The Philadelphia 76ers are one step close to reaching the Eastern Conference Finals as they now lead the series 3-2.

When was the last time 76ers played in Eastern Conference finals?

James Harden and Tyrese Maxey for the 76ers (Image via Forbes)

The Eastern Conference Semi-Final between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers has been a highly competitive matchup. The series has been swaying left and right from one team to the other. The 76ers took Game 1 thanks to James Harden’s masterful performance, and then Celtics DOMINATED in the next two games. The 76ers seemed to gain momentum again as they somehow won Game 4, 116-115, equalizing the series at 2-2.

The Philadelphia 76ers comfortably took Game 5, 115-103, cruising past the Celtics as they now stand one step away from the Conference Final. Despite Jayson Tatum’s dominant 36-point performance, the 76ers managed to hold their horses and move forward. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey were the stars of the show, leading the way for the team.

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Joel Embiid ended his dry run of wins against the Celtics as the player scored 33 points, three assists, and seven rebounds. Embiid, whose presence was considered a bane on the court (due to his 1-11 record against the Celtics at the beginning of the series) proved his haters wrong. Tyrese Maxey then followed with 30 points of his own, along with three assists and seven rebounds. James Harden came third for the 76ers, scoring 17 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds.

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Jayson Tatum didn’t have the best night in his home arena, TD Garden, tonight. Boston Celtics started off slow as Tatum didn’t rush, eventually leading the scorers with 36 points. Tatum also added five assists and 10 rebounds. He made 11 out of 27 field goal attempts. Jaylen Brown contributed 24 points and 6 rebounds, while Marcus Smart scored 14 points. However, no other player on the Boston team managed to score in double digits.

With the win in Game 6, the 76ers will move forward to the Eastern Conference Finals, for the first time in 22 seasons!

Related: “It was a push-off!” – Doc Rivers YELLS in post-game interview, claims refs’ no-call on Jayson Tatum could be a game-decider

The 76ers played their LAST Eastern Conference Finals in 2001

Embiid in action for the Philadelphia 76ers where he was fouled by KAT.
Embiid in action for the Philadelphia 76ers where he was fouled by KAT.

The Philadelphia 76ers are now on a 22-season dry run of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, which they aim to end this time. The 76ers are going to push hard to win Game 6 after their Game 5 win. The intent was seen in Embiid’s answers to questions asked about the win post-game. Embiid said, “I honestly don’t care.” He then said, “We still gotta get one more win. That’s all I’’m thinking about right now. And then obviously, you go home. So you are going to have a lot of energy, the crowd. I would imagine everybody plays better at home, too.”

The last time the 76ers had the opportunity to play in the Eastern Conference Finals was in the 2001-2002 season. The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals to advance to the Conference Finals. The team eventually advanced to the NBA Finals that season, where they faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers.

They succumbed to the pressure put up by the Lakers that season and ended up being dominated. The 76ers lost the Finals 4-1 as Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s duo reigned supreme. The 76ers will look forward to reaching the NBA Finals again this time as everything seems to be going their way. Despite winning the MVP award, only the championship is on Embiid’s mind. He’ll make the best out of this opportunity to win both the championship and the MVP in the same season. Game 6 between the Celtics and the 76ers goes down on Friday!

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