The Philadelphia 76ers superior to the Jap Convention semifinals after a 109-100 Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Backyard, finishing a 3-1 collection comeback. Head coach Nick Nurse pointed to protection because the defining issue, saying, “we simply guarded the ball rather well.”
Nurse additionally defined the late-series changes that helped Philadelphia shut out the matchup. “I’ve been saying this loads, and it wasn’t almost pretty much as good tonight because it’s been within the final about three video games, however we simply guarded the ball rather well,” he mentioned.
Joel Embiid’s capability to play by way of discomfort was central to the win, with Nurse detailing his impression throughout the ground. “Yeah, I imply I feel the quantity of video games continues to be fairly low, proper? And these are tremendous intense, fairly fast comebacks, you realize, each different day,” Nurse mentioned. “He was doing all the pieces he may to remain within the sport.”
Nurse additionally highlighted Embiid’s broader affect past scoring. “Clearly we ran plenty of stuff by way of him. Did simply sufficient,” he mentioned. “Nonetheless assume he’s acquired plenty of pictures that may go in, however he’s directing site visitors and making good passes and all that stuff.”
On the glass, Nurse emphasised a key enchancment late within the collection. “I’m most impressed along with his rebounding. His defensive rebounding and blocking out, he actually has executed job within the final couple video games with that,” he mentioned.
Philadelphia’s response to Boston’s momentum swings additionally drew consideration from the pinnacle coach. “It’s actually good for us to undergo that and reply to it. It’s good to have that have,” Nurse mentioned. “It’s going to be like that within the playoffs.”
He added that communication was troublesome in a hostile atmosphere. “You simply must play by way of it. However I assumed we dealt with it simply sufficient,” Nurse mentioned. “It’s actually good for us to expertise it.”
Tyrese Maxey’s late-game scoring bursts additionally shifted the rhythm of the competition. “Yeah, it was nice. Clearly they had been very well timed,” Nurse mentioned. “He did it possibly three in a row… these had been big as a result of we had been turning into sort of a walk-it-up slugfest.”
Rookie VJ Edgecombe supplied one other key elevate, notably on protection. “Yeah, clearly he was nice,” Nurse mentioned. “However most significantly, he sort of got here out of the halftime saying I acquired White… and plenty of that was VJ.”
Nurse additionally acknowledged tactical adjustments that helped gradual Boston’s offense late. “We’ve acquired to get them in half court docket offense,” he mentioned. “We simply lastly did… we had been simply sort of saying, man, whoever’s in entrance of you, take them.”
Trying forward, Nurse emphasised belief in his high rotation regardless of heavy minutes. “I wish to have my finest gamers on the ground,” he mentioned. “If we don’t win, we acquired the entire summer season to get well from being drained.”
Philadelphia now shifts to a second-round matchup in opposition to the New York Knicks, carrying momentum from a Sport 7 efficiency outlined by protection, rebounding, and late-game execution.
