Celtics dominate 76ers 128-96 despite Embiid’s return, take commanding 3-1 series lead
Apr 26, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) shoots a three point basket over Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes (5) during the second half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
The Boston Celtics brushed aside any momentum from Joel Embiid‘s dramatic return, dismantling the Philadelphia 76ers 128-96 on Sunday night to seize a commanding 3-1 series lead. Despite playing just his second game since April 6th following emergency appendectomy surgery, Embiid’s presence couldn’t prevent another lopsided defeat at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Payton Pritchard stole the spotlight with a spectacular 32-point performance, connecting on six 3-pointers and shooting 57.1% from the field. The backup guard’s explosive night overshadowed Embiid’s solid return, as he capped the first quarter with a ridiculous one-legged running 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Boston a 34-18 advantage.
Embiid’s valiant effort falls short
Embiid looked sharp early, scoring Philadelphia‘s first eight points and finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists in 34 minutes. However, the former MVP acknowledged the difficult circumstances surrounding his return.
« It’s tough, » said Embiid. « It’s tough. But you try to do the best job possible with the conditions. Still got to go out there and try to play well and win a basketball game and we didn’t do that tonight. We didn’t play well. »
The 76ers center revealed he initially thought he had food poisoning three weeks ago, only to discover it was appendicitis when symptoms worsened. « I was like, ‘Something is very wrong here,' » Embiid recalled about the night he went to the hospital. He admitted to having complications from surgery and only scrimmaging once before Sunday’s game.
Celtics’ balanced attack proves unstoppable
Jayson Tatum overcame a slow start to finish with 30 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists, while Jaylen Brown contributed 20 points and 7 rebounds. After shooting just 1-of-8 in the first half, Tatum exploded for 7-of-8 shooting after halftime, including a crucial 4-point play that extended Boston‘s lead to 30 points.
« We want to be the more desperate team, » said Tatum. « Nine years in the playoffs, it never goes how you think it’s going to go. However long it takes, four, six, five, seven games, just be prepared to do whatever it takes for however long it takes. »
The Celtics dominated from beyond the arc, making 24 3-pointers on 45.3% shooting while outrebounding Philadelphia 51-30. Boston’s bench contributed significantly, with players like Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh hitting timely 3-pointers during crucial stretches.
Philadelphia‘s supporting cast struggled mightily, with Tyrese Maxey managing just 22 points on limited attempts and Paul George adding 16. The 76ers now face elimination in Game 5 at TD Garden on Tuesday night, needing to overcome the daunting task of winning three straight games against the Eastern Conference’s second seed.
« Down 3-1, it’s been done before, » Embiid said. « Getting one in Boston is going to be tough. That’s a really good team. We know what they do well, we know some of the mistakes we made tonight, so now it’s on us to try to figure out how to fix them. »
Comments (0)