Stephen A. Smith Reacts to Celtics' Costly Game 7 Mistake

Stephen A. Smith gave the 76ers credit for surviving Game 7, but he was clearly baffled by how the Celtics let the game slip away. Boston's season ended in the first round after a tense seven-game battle with Philadelphia, and for Smith, the biggest issue came down to the final minutes.

With the game still right there, he questioned why the Celtics kept firing up threes instead of attacking the basket, trying to draw contact, or getting to the free-throw line. In a one-point game, Smith felt Boston made things much harder than they needed to.

Props to the @sixers. Big-time win. But I'd don't understand for the life of me how the @celtics spent 6-straight possessions launching 3's - including 3 from @FCHWPO - in the last 2 min of a 1-point game. How? Why? Nobody goes to the hole? Tries to draw a foul? Get to the free…

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) May 3, 2026

Smith took to X to share his thoughts on the game saying, "Props to the@sixers. Big-time win. But I'd don't understand for the life of me how the @celtics spent 6-straight possessions launching 3's - including 3 from@FCHWPO - in the last 2 min of a 1-point game. How? Why? Nobody goes to the hole? Tries to draw a foul? Get to the free throw line? Oh Well. The@sixers deserve this moment. The. Monday arrives, as to my@nyknicks.#LetsGo."

A Disappointing First Round Exit for the Boston Celtics

Philadelphia finally flipped one of its ugliest playoff narratives.

For years, Boston has been the team standing in the Sixers' way. This time, the 76ers walked into TD Garden, won Game 7, and turned a 3-1 deficit into a second-round ticket against the Knicks.

Joel Embiid was at the center of everything. Considering he had only returned midway through the series after surgery, his Game 7 performance was ridiculous. He gave Philadelphia 34 points, controlled the glass, handled double-teams calmly, and kept the offense steady whenever things started getting tense.

Tyrese Maxey gave the Sixers the other punch they needed. He attacked Boston's defense late, got into the lane, and made the plays that helped stop the Celtics' comeback attempt. VJ Edgecombe also looked completely unfazed by the stage, knocking down big shots and giving Philadelphia huge minutes as a rookie.

Boston fought, especially after falling behind big. Jaylen Brown carried the scoring load with Jayson Tatum out, and Derrick White had his moments too. But the Celtics' season ended with the same uncomfortable question: did they settle too much from deep?

They took 49 threes and only made 13. Joe Mazzulla defended the process afterward, but the result was brutal. Philadelphia made the cleaner plays, and Boston's title hopes disappeared.

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This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 4:00 AM.