PHILADELPHIA — About 30 minutes before tip-off, it was revealed that Joel Embiid would make his long-awaited return to the Philadelphia 76ers lineup. But it didn’t take long for the Boston Celtics to completely muffle that storyline.
By the end of the first quarter, the Celtics were up 34-18, and the domination only continued from there.
Here are some ups and downs from Boston’s Game 4 blowout victory that gave them a 3-1 series lead.
For the first time all series, Embiid took the floor for the Philadelphia 76ers. He had been recovering from an appendectomy, and in his first few minutes on the court, he looked impressive.
Embiid bullied his way into the paint, drew free throws, and threw down a monster dunk in transition. But from that point on, the Celtics had his number.
Not only did they deter his ability to get in the paint, but they also attacked him relentlessly on the other end. Boston’s offense forced Embiid into every action, and it didn’t go well.
Plus, with Embiid hogging a ton of first-half shots, Tyrese Maxey was left out to dry at times. At the end of the first quarter, he only had three points (and he played all 12 minutes).
Game 4 was, in a way, the opposite of Game 2. At least, it was through the first half. In Boston’s loss, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown looked good. They may have been the only positives on the Celtics that night.
Through the first two quarters of Game 4, Tatum and Brown didn’t look like themselves.
Tatum, less so. He was still passing the ball well. He dished out some assists, breaking down Philadelphia’s pick-and-roll defense, but his shot wasn’t falling.
For Brown, it was a fairly messy start to the ball game. Much like he did in a few pockets of Game 3, Brown turned the ball over when he put it on the floor, and his shot was way off. Brown’s first shot attempt of the game was an airball.
Needless to say, it wasn’t the Tatum and Brown Celtics fans have become accustomed to.
There was some general sloppiness that carried throughout the night, but most of Tatum and Brown’s rough play came in the first half.
In the first half of Sunday night’s game in Philadelphia, Payton Pritchard put a down payment on Xfinity Mobile Arena. By halftime, he owned the building.
A buzzer-beater to end the first quarter highlighted a barrage of buckets that Pritchard rained down on Philadelphia’s defense. He was an absolute blur.
Every time Pritchard made a shot, he was
