Maxey, George Sixers push Celtics to Game 7

Philadelphia — Tyrese Maxey Score 30 points, one resurrected Paul George had 23 points and a Philadelphia 76ers’ team that had lost by 32 points twice in this first-round playoff series played its most complete game of the season and forced Game 7 with a 106-93 win. Boston Celtics Thursday night.

The decisive match is Saturday in Boston.

With Joel Embiid’s early return from an appendectomy, the Sixers rallied from two blowout losses to win Game 5 by 16 points in Boston and were buoyed by George’s throwback effort to hold on to a comfortable Game 6 lead. Embiid played his part in Game 6 with 19 points.

The Sixers are one of only two teams in postseason history to join the Heat facing elimination with consecutive double-digit wins over the Celtics, who did so in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals.

The game of the game — and maybe the series — came when the third came Kelly Oubre Jr. blocked Jaylen BrownAfter Maxi scooped up the loose ball and fed George on the break, Geroge dazzled with a back pass. VJ Edgecombwho finished with a thunderous dunk for a 69-54 lead.

On a night when the Flyers won in overtime to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs, Sixers fans relaxed after that slam.

The 76ers will only go as far as Embiid can take their injury-prone 7-foot frame, and Maxey is a true All-Star. Edgecombe’s youthful exuberance made him a fan favorite in the Phillies and an NBA Rookie of the Year finalist.

George, 35, has been lost at times in the shuffle, due in large part to a 25-game suspension for flunking a drug test this season. He’s held back three other Sixers when needed, yet can still flash that All-Star form. George hit a team-high five 3s with all but extended the lead and the offense went through him while Embiid, still recovering from his early April surgery, was on the bench.

George signed a four-year, $212 million free-agent deal with the Sixers in the summer of 2024 and was expected to form a 1-2 championship punch with Embiid. George was instead derailed by injuries, personal problems and suspensions that made him sometimes forgotten by fans and the offense.

Not against Boston. He keyed Philadelphia’s game of the season, a shocker of how the Celtics were playing with them in their three wins in the series. The Celtics never led in 6 games.

Brown was hampered by three fouls in the first half and finished with 18 points. Jason Tatum The Celtics had 17 and left the third quarter with an apparent calf injury.

The Celtics closed the third without a point for more than 4 minutes and the Sixers entered the final quarter with an 82-63 lead.

This is the third time in franchise history that Boston will face a Game 7 after taking a 3-1 lead. They won the best-of-7 series at 32 after leading 3-1; The Sixers have lost seven of their best-of-18 series after trailing 3-1.

Associated Press and ESPN research contributed to this report.