Boston is not in love with The Process. Joel Embiid is not the most favorite person in TD Garden and Boston City right now. The fans showed it. The Celtics bench showed it. Now, after the Philadelphia 76ers eliminated the Boston Celtics 109-100 in a decisive Game 7, even the players and the head coach are showing it. But that’s the collateral of shutting down your critics. After all, there was very little faith in Embiid to not ‘flop’ this postseason too. As reliable as the big man is during the regular season, his availability evaporates in the postseason and his production declines. ‘Playoff Embiid’ wasn’t a concept until 2026. And it’s got Jaylen Brown and his head coach very upset.
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Contrary to every expectation, the 76ers came back from a near impossible 3-1 deficit in this series with a huge heave by Joel Embiid. While the Sixers celebrated their leap to the Eastern Conference semifinals, the atmosphere in the Boston locker room was one of frustration. Jaylen Brown did not hold back in his post-game assessment, specifically targeting the big man’s style of play and the officiating that, in his view, rewarded it.
“It was tough, Embiid put a lot of pressure on us like, on our bigs, on our guards, we didn’t really have the answer for him,” Brown admitted. However, he quickly pivoted to a sharp critique of his opponent. “He also was flopping around. He got some extra calls and stuff like that and they rewarded him for that. But that’s the league that we’re in. So that’s all I got to say.”
It was a very physically grueling series overall. In this Game 7, even the Boston bench got involved with one of the training staff grabbing a loose ball and refusing to give it to Embiid. The Celtics got a warning for delaying the game but no techs flew in this drama.
Jaylen Brown CALLED OUT Joel Embiid: "He was flopping around. He got some extra calls and stuff like that and they rewarded him for that. But that's the league that we're in.”
Embiid did get to the charity stripe later in the third quarter. And Boston rained “f— Embiid” chants on him at the opportunity. His response was to shush them with the universal gesture and nailing the free throws.
Brown can complain about Embiid’s 11 trips to the line (Joel made nine of them). But the outcome is sealed. The Celtics are out of the postseason and their archenemies advance to the next round.
Jaylen Brown’s coach also blames Joel Embiid for Celtics’ elimination
Jaylen Brown’s comments summarize a physical series where the tactical landscape shifted dramatically upon Joel Embiid’s return less than a month after an emergency appendectomy. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla echoed the sentiment that Embiid was the ultimate x-factor, noting that “nothing really” changed between the regular season and playoffs other than the presence of the Sixers’ big man.
“What changed in this series was Joel Embiid came back and they’re a completely different team,” Mazzulla said. Interestingly, when his staff tried to snatch the ball from Embiid, Mazzulla stood there nonchalantly, not wanting to go up against the big guy. But his comments indicate that despite the negative narrative around him, Embiid remains a game-changer.
Embiid made a surprise return in Game 4, just 17 days after the surgery, despite all reports claiming he’d need longer to recover. Despite his unbelievable 26-point performance, the Celtics blew out the Sixers with a 128-96 game. No one thought the Sixers could come back from that deficit.
But Philly trusted The Process and he posted 33 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds in a 113-97 victory to extend the series. He dominated in the second half of the game and dragged the Sixers out of a double-digit deficit. The heroics continued in Game 6 where Embiid showed unexpected consistency in a near similar 33 points, 4 rebounds, and 10 assists statline.
The statistical reality of Game 7 underscores the “pressure” Brown mentioned. Embiid finished the night with a dominant 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, anchoring a Philadelphia offense that also saw 30 points from Tyrese Maxey. On the other side, Jaylen Brown shouldered the offensive burden for a shorthanded Celtics squad missing Jayson Tatum (knee stiffness), finishing with 33 points and nine rebounds.
Whether Brown’s “flopping” accusations are valid remains a point of contention. Embiid has long faced criticism for his ability to draw fouls, a skill he views as high-level basketball IQ to the disdain of his opponents. In this decisive Game 7, the 76ers utilized that physicality to survive. For Brown and the Celtics, he was too big a hurdle they could not overcome as their season ended on their home court.
