Joel Embiid made his return to the court Sunday night less than a month after he underwent an emergency appendectomy.
That didn’t slow the Boston Celtics down one bit.
The Celtics cruised to a dominant 128-96 win over Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 of their opening-round playoff series. That gave the Celtics a 3-1 lead in the series and put them a win away from making it into the next round.
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Embiid underwent surgery in Houston on April 9 after he was diagnosed with appendicitis, something that can typically take up to six weeks to recover from. That knocked Embiid out for the rest of the regular season and the start of the playoffs.
Embiid had been working on his comeback during the playoffs and began a strength and conditioning program last week. He was listed as “doubtful” ahead of the 76ers’ 108-100 loss to the Celtics in Game 3 on Friday and did not play.
The team announced less than an hour before Game 4 was scheduled to tip off at Xfinity Mobile Arena that Embiid was available and in the starting lineup. The former league MVP played with a special wrap around his midsection to protect the affected area.
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Embiid scored the first eight points of the night for the 76ers, including a two-handed dunk on a fast break. He had 10 in the first period after going 3-of-5 from the field.
But Embiid’s hot start didn’t do much to deter the Celtics. Boston ended the opening period on an 11-2 tear, capped by a one-legged buzzer-beater from Payton Pritchard, to grab a 16-point lead. Pritchard had 13 points in the first 12 minutes.
Embiid didn’t make a field goal in the second quarter, however, and Boston pushed its lead to 18 by halftime. From there, the Celtics never relinquished control of the game. They cruised in the second half to the 32-point win.
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Pritchard finished with 32 points off the bench with six 3-pointers for the Celtics. Jayson Tatum had 30 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds. Boston made 24 3-pointers compared to nine for Philadelphia.
Embiid led Philadelphia with 26 points and 10 rebounds. He went 9-of-21 from the field and 1-of-6 from beyond the arc. Tyrese Maxey added 22 points, and Paul George finished with 16 points.
Embiid averaged 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds in 38 games in the regular season for the 76ers. It marked his third straight season in which he’s appeared in fewer than 40 contests due to injuries. Before his appendicitis, Embiid also dealt with an oblique strain, a sore right knee and shin issue and a right knee injury. Embiid played in just 19 games last season with lingering left knee issues.
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While Embiid should be good to go for Game 5 on Tuesday night in Boston, it may not make much of a difference. The Celtics are rolling, and look every bit of a team that is capable of making a deep postseason run this spring. Based on how things have gone so far, it’s going to take a massive effort from Embiid and the rest of the 76ers to extend the series and bring it back to Philadelphia.
