The Philadelphia 76ers are heading back to Boston with a golden opportunity—one that seemed impossible just a week ago. After falling into a 3-1 series hole following a brutal 32-point loss on their home floor, the Sixers have stormed back to force a decisive Game 7 against their longtime rivals, the Celtics. Now, they have a chance to eliminate Boston in a playoff series for the first time since 1982, which also came down to a Game 7.

"I've been playing against these guys for so long," Joel Embiid said after the Sixers' Game 6 victory. "I'm tired of losing to them. We have a chance to accomplish something special. They're a great team—that's a super team. So we've got to go in there with the same mindset we've had the last two games: one play at a time. We've already won two games over there, so we just have to keep doing what we're doing, and we'll be fine."

Embiid knows the pain of playoff defeats to Boston all too well. The Celtics eliminated the Sixers in five games during the 2018 East semifinals, swept them in the 2020 bubble first round, and sent them home in another Game 7 in 2023 when Jayson Tatum exploded for 51 points. This time, the script could be flipped.

"We're a confident group," added Kelly Oubre Jr. "We're not a normal 7-seed, obviously. At the end of the day, we have to play to our full potential, and I'll put all my eggs in that basket. We just have to come locked in. There are going to be a lot of haymakers thrown in Game 7 because it's win or go home for both of us. But the pressure is on the other team. They're supposed to be where they are. We want to show people where we're supposed to be, too."

The Sixers have plenty of veterans who have been through these high-stakes battles before. After looking dead in the water just days ago, Philadelphia now has a chance to write a new chapter in this historic rivalry—and silence the doubters for good.