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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 28: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics warms up in Game Five against the Philadelphia 76ers in the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoff at TD Garden on April 28, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
This is certainly a position the Boston Celtics did not envision they would be in a recently a a few days ago.
Not after Jayson Tatum came back looking like his old All-NBA self. Not after going up 3-1 over the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.
But here the Celtics are.
They gear up for a Game 7 looking to avoid falling on the other end of history by the end of the night. Those 3-1 jokes can get insufferable over time.
After the Celtics left Xfinity Mobile Arena with a beatdown of the Sixers in Game 4, everyone was ready to move Boston to the second round against either the New York Knicks or Atlanta Hawks.
New York dismantled Atlanta in Game 6 to close out the series. The Knicks are now somewhere sitting back with their feet kicked up, a drink in their hands and a grin on their faces as they watch the Celtics do battle with the Sixers for a seventh time over the last almost two weeks.
By the end of night, we’ll find out if Boston steers clear of disaster … or falls face-first into it.
Here comes another entry of a Celtics-Sixers playoff game. Here comes another Game 7.
Historically, these two teams have never disappointed when they have met in the postseason.
It’s gritty, scrappy, often dogged. When one team senses an advantage, the other swoops in to steal the momentum. When the other catches steam, the other throws in an unconventional road block.
No Eastern Conference war has had a richer 44 years.
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 28: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles against Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during the second quarter in Game Five of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoff at TD Garden on April 28, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Celtics may be teetering after allowing the Sixers to knot up a series that was once 3-1, but that doesn’t entirely mean the odds are stacked against them.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, in the last 36 instances, fewer than 40% of teams that have forced a Game 7 after trailing 1-3 went on to win the series. That spells some good news for the C’s in tonight’s Game 7.
“However, historically the team that was down 3-1 still has less than a 50% chance of winning after they tie the series,” the publication wrote. “Of the 36 previous matchups where the trailing team won two in a row to force Game 7, that team has only won 13 times. That’s only 36%, or roughly one-third. The Sixers could help increase those odds tonight, as can the Pistons Sunday when they host the Magic.”
Heading to the do-or-die matchup, the health status of Tatum is now Boston’s biggest headache.
The star forward is now listed as questionable due to left knee stiffness, according to the team’s latest injury report.
Tatum had exited Game 6 in the third quarter with an apparent problem in his left knee. The good news was that it wasn’t the same leg on which he suffered his Achilles injury, but the bad news is that it may hinder his appearance for the decisive game.
The 29-year-old initially downplayed it as “a little stiff” while expressing confidence he would play in Game 7, however, the latest injury update suggests otherwise.
The new injury concern, on the opposite leg, has raised questions about whether Tatum has been compensating for the prior injury. He has been a key contributor for Boston since he returned, starting 16 regular-season games and starting all the playoff games so far. He has played over 30 minutes excluding Game 6, in which he went off.
The Celtics will now have to do it all without Tatum or face a first-round upset.
Adel Ahmad Adel is a writer with over five years of experience covering the NBA. His work has appeared on various media platforms, both national and local. More about Adel Ahmad
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