Two hours before tipoff, Boston learned they’d be without Jayson Tatum. Two and a half hours after tipoff, the Celtics traded punches with the 76ers all game and whittled 18-point deficit to 1 with two minutes left, but fell 109-100 in Game 7 to end their season.

In an effort to shift the energy, head coach Joe Mazzulla shook up the starting lineup with Ron Harper Jr., Baylor Scheierman, and Luka Garza joining Derrick White and Jaylen Brown for the clincher.

It wasn’t enough and Boston suffered the same fate they have in the back half of the series after going up 3-1.

In losses in Game 5 and 6, the Celtics did not win the possession battle, an edge they took an advantage of throughout their regular season campaign. Whether it was winning the turnover, offensive rebounding, or three-point differential, Boston was frequently on the plus side of those ledgers and finished a surprising 56-26.

Mazzulla tried everything, including inserting Hugo Gonzalez in the rotation, benching Nikola Vucevic, going small, and going zone. Unfortunately, it was a third straight game losing in the margins. While Boston did limit their turnovers to just five, Philly was just the better offensive team.

Tyrese Maxey (30 points), VJ Edgecombe (23 points), and Paul George (13 points) finished a combined 10-of-20 from behind the arc. Brown, White, Pritchard, and Sam Hauser buoyed Boston’s efforts hitting 13-of-38, but the Celtics again finished under 30% from 3 for the third straight game, include missed threes from all four in the final two minutes.

Joel Embiid was simply a force, finishing Game 7 with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 rebounds. Brown battled him in a war of words in the fourth quarter and led the Celtics in scoring with 33 points.

The Celtics will now enter the summer with available options to get better. After finishing second in the Eastern Conference in what many expected to be a gap year, they trimmed salary to avoid the luxury tax, opened up access to exceptions, and welcomed back Jayson Tatum to an earlier-than-expected return. They’ve got the 27th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and #40 in the second round. So, while an early exit is disappointing after such a promising year, Boston’s future remains bright under Mazzulla’s management and Brown and Tatum’s leadership.