NBA 2K predicts 76ers Game 7 comeback over Celtics

NBA 2K's latest playoff sim backed the Sixers in the exact kind of Game 7 that defined this East first-round battle, landing its call as Boston and Philadelphia were tied 3-3 and the bracket had the winner moving on to the Knicks. The matchup was already the centerpiece of the 2026 NBA Playoffs bracket, and the sim gave fans one more way to read the series through momentum instead of seed lines.

The real case for Philadelphia had already sharpened before the virtual prediction. The Sixers forced Game 7 with a 106-93 win in Game 6, Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points, and Joel Embiid finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. John Schuhmann's Game 6 takeaways pointed to Maxey's surge and Jayson Tatum's lower-left-leg issue, two matchup details that mattered more than any simulation because they showed why Boston was suddenly fighting the series instead of controlling it.

The history around the series made the comeback even bigger. Before Game 7, the Celtics had been 32-0 all time when leading a series 3-1, while the 76ers were 0-18 when trailing 3-1. NBA.com also noted that Celtics-76ers was the 23rd playoff series between the franchises, the most postseason meetings any two NBA teams have ever played, which is why Game 7 at TD Garden on Saturday, May 2, felt larger than a normal first-round decider.

The reality check on NBA 2K's playoff sims is that they have been good enough to keep people watching, but not perfect enough to treat as gospel. ESPN reported last June that NBA 2K25 correctly picked Oklahoma City to beat Indiana for the 2025 title, but it missed the series margin by one game, forecasting a 4-2 finish instead of the Thunder's seven-game win. That is the right lens for the Sixers' Game 7 prediction now: a sharp conversation starter that tracks the shape of the bracket, not a substitute for what actually happens on the floor.