Celtics 76ers – Joel Embiid’s quick return from an appendectomy wasn’t enough as the Boston Celtics dominated the Philadelphia 76ers 128-96 to take a 3-1 series lead heading to Game 5 in Boston.
PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid returned from an appendectomy and played through pain, but the Boston Celtics made the bigger statement on Sunday night, rolling to a 128-96 win that puts them 3-1 up in the first-round series.
The Celtics’ control started early, and the damage they dealt in the first half turned Embiid’s comeback into a brief highlight rather than a momentum shift. Boston enters Game 5 Tuesday in Boston with the chance to close the series.
Embiid scored 26 points in 34 minutes, arriving as a real-life test of toughness for Philadelphia.. He found the floor immediately. hitting two free throws to open the scoring. then showing no hesitation with a two-handed jam that energized the early crowd.. But after the electric start, the rhythm didn’t hold.. He went through a long stretch where his shotmaking stalled. missing seven straight attempts before landing a three-point play in the third quarter.
That timing mattered because Boston didn’t need a single game-changing superstar performance to keep pulling away.. Jayson Tatum finished with 30 points and 11 assists. orchestrating the offense while still landing the kind of finishing that forces defenses to chase.. Jaylen Brown added 20 points, and Payton Pritchard provided the spark that stretched the game further than the 32-point margin suggests.. Pritchard went 6-of-24 from beyond the arc in the sense that he was simply part of a barrage—Boston knocked down 24 threes—and he scored 32 points overall. including a long three on one leg to close out the first quarter.
Philadelphia’s most productive answer was Tyrese Maxey, who scored 22 points.. Still. the Sixers struggled to keep pace with a Celtics team that repeatedly forced Philadelphia into uncomfortable shots and then turned rebounds into easy points.. Boston’s first-half advantage included a 14-rebound edge before the game even settled into full blowout territory.. Those boards helped fuel a 13-0 run in second-chance points that effectively widened the distance from “competitive” to “unreachable.”
One of the clearest stories inside the box score is how Boston’s spacing and ball movement made defense feel optional for Philadelphia at times.. When a team hits enough threes at volume—like the Celtics did—it compresses the floor.. That creates open looks for the next actions and turns even a solid closeout into a scramble.. Pritchard’s adjusted role also fits that theme: he moved from starter responsibilities back to the bench role that earned him Sixth Man of the Year honors last season. and Boston’s scoring depth kept functioning without needing major changes.
For Embiid, the most compelling part of his return was not the points—it was the context.. He underwent the appendectomy on April 9 in Houston after developing appendicitis overnight. then returned 17 days later wearing a protective brace around his midsection and being cleared to play about 40 minutes before tipoff.. In playoff basketball, where conditioning is already a premium and contact is constant, returning quickly like that is a statement.. Yet Sunday’s execution from Boston was the counterpunch: they were faster. sharper. and more organized than a team trying to absorb an extraordinary medical comeback.
A major reason the Celtics look like a team that can end this series early is how little they seem to rely on “hero” basketball.. There were questions earlier about whether Tatum’s return in March from a ruptured Achilles would disrupt the flow of a roster that had already learned to thrive in his absence.. Instead, Boston has absorbed him seamlessly.. In this series alone. the Celtics have shown they can win multiple ways—whether it’s blowouts. late-game execution. or dominant stretches tied to role players.
Tatum’s 11 assists also matter because they reveal how Boston attacked the Sixers’ decision-making, not just their scoring.. When a star can pass to keep defenses rotating while still posting efficiently. the opponent can’t “game plan” one thing.. Philadelphia didn’t just stop Embiid; they also had to stop the Celtics from stacking advantages in every phase—shooting. rebounding. and transition.
Now the practical question shifts to what happens next.. Boston can clinch the series in front of its home crowd. and the matchup waiting for them could be decided by the winner of the Atlanta Hawks vs.. New York Knicks series.. For the Celtics. the value isn’t only in winning Game 5—it’s in preserving enough energy and confidence to show up ready for the next round without letting Philadelphia’s late-game fights become moral victories.
For the Sixers, the takeaway is harsher.. Embiid’s gutsy return gave them their loudest headline, but the on-court story belonged to Boston’s depth and rhythm.. Maxey’s scoring showed there are still sparks in Philadelphia’s offense. yet the Celtics proved they can keep the pressure on even when they don’t need every star to carry the load.. Game 5 will reveal whether the Sixers can respond with something more than effort—and whether Boston has the final pieces to finish it quickly.