What happened: The Philadelphia 76ers eliminated the Boston Celtics in Game 7 to advance in the NBA playoffs. It marks Philadelphia's first playoff series victory over Boston since 1982, ending a decades-long stretch of postseason heartbreak against their Atlantic Division rival. ESPN highlighted the milestone in a celebratory post following the final buzzer.

Why it matters: Beating Boston in a Game 7 is a franchise-defining moment for a Sixers core that has long been measured against past playoff failures. The 1982 reference frames the magnitude: an entire generation of Philadelphia basketball has come and gone without a series win over the Celtics. It reshapes the conference bracket and resets expectations for how deep this Sixers run can go.

What to watch: Attention turns to Philadelphia's next-round opponent and whether the Sixers can carry Game 7 momentum forward. Watch for updated series odds and any injury report coming out of a physical seven-game battle.