BOSTON — The Philadelphia 76ers completed a 3-1 comeback over the Boston Celtics with a 109-100 victory in Game 7. This is the first time in the Sixers history accomplishing this feat, while they became just the 17th team in NBA history to achieve it. This was the first time the Celtics lost a playoff series after going 3-1 up. With Boston reeling from this 12th-round loss after having their jaws rocked in the TD Arena, it’s understandable that there would be emotional answers in the post game interview. What began as a routine post game reaction quickly turned into the Jaylen Brown Joel Embiid flopping controversy, with Brown’s comments lighting a fuse across X/twitter.
Jaylen Brown Joel Embiid Flopping Comment Sparks Backlash
Post game Emotions Boil Over
“It was tough. Embiid put a lot of pressure on us, on both our bigs and our guards, and we didn’t really have an answer for him. We tried a number of different things, but he’s a big presence and kept making plays. He also drew some extra calls, and they rewarded that. That’s the league we’re in,” Jaylen Brown said in his post game interview.
Brown is right that the Celtics struggled to deal with a lumbering Embiid. Embiid went 9-11 from the line in Game 7 and finished with 34 points (12-26 FG), 12 rebounds, six assists, and one block. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla threw all kinds of matchups at the big man, with even Brown guarding him for stretches.
Despite recovering from an appendectomy done on April 9, Embiid changed the direction of the series with his return; the team won three of his four appearances. He averaged 26.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.4 stocks in the first-round series. Through the first three games in the tie, Embiid feasted on his matchups.
Neemias Queta, who rightly earned some Most Improved Player votes, was dominated in the post. Embiid went 6-of-9 from the field against Queta. Luka Garza offered even less resistance, with Embiid shooting 80% from the field on him. The most effective defenders proved to be Jayson Tatum and Brown. Unfortunately, Tatum missed the last five quarters of this series, so we couldn’t see his defense with a larger sample size.
A Curious Accusation
Jaylen Brown accusing Joel Embiid of flopping was a bit strange because his free-throw numbers in this series are his lowest since the 2018-19 season. Brown came under fire from fans as a result for his patented drives that blur the line between a shoulder budge and a push-off.
Jaylen Brown on Joel Embiid: “Embiid put a lot of pressure on us. We didn’t really have an answer for him. We tried a bunch of different things. He’s a big body. He also was flopping around. He got some extra calls and they rewarded him for that, but that’s the league we’re in.” pic.twitter.com/GhEQ2GV4CM
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 3, 2026
These comments also add a bit more spice to what has quietly been brewing into a feisty rivalry. Embiid once downplayed the idea of this being a rivalry altogether, pointing out that it’s hard to call it that when one side keeps winning. Well, the scoreboard has a different tone now. If it wasn’t a rivalry before, this series—and comments like Brown’s—might have just stamped it into one.
Credit:© Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
