Celtics spoil Embiid's Game 4 return, grab 3-1 series lead vs Sixers

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Celtics spoil Embiid's Game 4 return, grab 3-1 series lead vs Sixers image

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By Joel Reyes

The Boston Celtics spoiled Joel Embiid's return to the hard court, crushing the Philadelphia 76ers 128-96 in Game 4 on Monday (PH time) to take a commanding 3-1 lead in their first-round series in the 2026 Eastern Conference Playoffs.

The Celtics quickly silenced the crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena, building a 34-18 lead after the first quarter. Boston maintained its double-digit lead throughout the second quarter as the Celtics headed into the break with a 56-38 advantage.

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The Celtics never looked back after that as they moved to within a victory of a stint in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Payton Pritchard starred in the blowout win, scoring a game-high 32 points, 18 of which came in Boston's first-half surge.

Jayson Tatum had his best game of this year's playoffs, dropping 30 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds. He shot 8-for-16 from the field, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Embiid led Philadelphia's offense, scoring 26 points in a losing effort. He had missed the previous three games of this series due to an appendectomy.

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