Boston Crushes Philadelphia, Embiid's Return Overshadowed by Dominant Celtics /VIDEO/
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Joel Embiid returned to the court after a seven-game absence following appendectomy surgery, but it wasn't nearly enough to halt the surging Boston Celtics. The Celtics dominated Game 4 from start to finish, securing a decisive 128-96 victory and taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
The game was effectively decided by the end of the first quarter, as Boston unleashed a 22-5 run. From that point on, the Celtics' lead never dipped below 14 points.
Despite uncertainty surrounding his participation until an hour before tip-off, Embiid played 34 minutes, tallying 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. However, the statistics don't tell the whole story.
Embiid attempted 21 shots, but only six of those came from inside the paint. The Celtics were content to let him shoot from distance (5/15), a strategy he failed to punish.
Pritchard led Boston with 32 points, while Tatum recorded a double-double with 30 points and 11 assists. Brown also reached double figures with 20 points. For Philadelphia, Embiid's 26 points and 10 rebounds were a team high, supported by Maxey with 22, George with 16, and Grimes with 12.
On the other side, Pritchard delivered a career-best performance. He had already amassed 13 points by the end of the first quarter, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer over Embiid.
Game 5 between these two teams is scheduled for April 29th at 1 AM ET.
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