Tyrese Maxey Claims Game 7 Against Celtics Got “Even Harder” After Jayson Tatum Injury

Tyrese Maxey took over down the stretch as the 76ers roared back from down 3-1 to eliminate the Celtics.

Tyrese Maxey Claims Game 7 Against Celtics Got “Even Harder” After Jayson Tatum Injury

Tyrese Maxey (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Tyrese Maxey and the 76ers completed a 3-1 comeback against the Celtics in Game 7.
  • Jayson Tatum's absence due to injury was seen as a challenge by Maxey, who expected the Celtics to play unpredictably.
  • Maxey and Joel Embiid both recorded double-doubles, leading the 76ers to a 109-100 victory.

Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers have pulled off an incredible 3-1 comeback against the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. It was a dominant performance from the visitors from start to finish as the Celtics took to the court without Jayson Tatum in the lineup. The forward was ruled out due to a knee injury, which was a huge blow for his side.

With no Tatum in the lineup, the Celtics saw three of their starters not score a single point. In the end, the 76ers secured a 109-100 victory over the Celtics in Game 7 at the TD Garden.

After the game, Maxey was asked about the mindset and approach of his team after finding out that Tatum was not going to play.

Once we found out JT was out, honestly we felt that the game was going to be even harder. We knew they were gonna come out there and play free and open minded. As soon as I found out I told Joel it’s not going to get easier. It’s definitely gonna be harder.

Tyrese Maxey in his post-match press conference

The Celtics have missed Jayson Tatum for the majority of the 2025-26 campaign as he tore his Achilles tendon in the playoffs last year. It was a remarkable recovery by the 28-year-old. While head coach Joe Mazzulla said that Tatum was good to go for Game 7, they had to proceed with caution and ruled him out in the end.

Tyrese Maxey believed that the Celtics would be more difficult after Tatum’s injury, as other players would step up and the scoring would be more spread out, which would make them more unpredictable. In his absence, the Celtics saw Derrick White score 26 points as he took a game-high 16 three-point attempts.

Jaylen Brown led the way with 33 points, and he had some good support in terms of scoring from the bench. However, they were inefficient from the field as a team, as they shot at just 40% and made just 27% of their three-pointers.

Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid combine to take out the Celtics

It was an impressive all-round performance from the 76ers in Game 7. With Joel Embiid making his return after missing the first three games against the Celtics, the momentum of the series shifted considerably. Embiid was instrumental in Game 5 and once again in Game 7.

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Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey (image via USA TODAY Sports)

Both Embiid and Maxey stole the show on Saturday as both of them recorded double-doubles. Embiid scored a game-high 34 points to go along with 12 rebounds and six assists, while Maxey ended his night with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.

Maxey is coming off an incredible 2025-26 campaign in terms of scoring and he has shown no signs of slowing down in the playoffs so far. The 76ers are finally looking like the contenders many were hoping them to be when the team is fit and healthy.

Tyrese Maxey on his conversation with Joel Embiid after Game 5

The 76ers were in a spot of bother for the first half of the series. After the first four games, they were down 3-1, and Joel Embiid was just making his return after undergoing appendicitis surgery at the end of the regular season. However, the 76ers refused to give in and beat the Celtics in a playoff series for the first time in 44 years.

After the win, Tyrese Maxey spoke about the conversation he had with Embiid after winning Game 5.

We had a talk after Game 5. Just, ‘Hey man, we can’t let the same stuff happen over and over and over and over again. At some point we’ve gotta put a stop to it.’ And we did, we won Game 6 at home and Game 7 is always a toss-up. And we knew, we ain’t won one yet so it felt good to win one.

Tyrese Maxey in his post-match courtside interview

The 76ers will take on the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The two sides faced each other in the first round in 2024, with the Knicks eliminating the 76ers in six games. After a huge series win over the Celtics, Maxey and co. will be high on confidence against the Knicks.

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