Tatum, Celtics Rout 76ers in Embiid's Injury Return as NBA Fans React to Pritchard's 32 Points in G4
Payton Pritchard erupted for 32 points as Jason Tatum and the Boston Celtics rolled past the Philadelphia 76ers, 128-96, in Joel Embiid's series debut.
The blowout win sparked reactions from fans as Boston grabbed a 3-1 series lead behind Pritchard and now has a chance to close out the first-round series at home.
Pritchard sparked the Boston Celtics off the bench with 32 points on 57 percent shooting, adding four rebounds and five assists in a key performance.
Tatum posted a double-double with 30 points and 11 assists, adding seven rebounds, while Brown contributed 20 points and seven boards as the duo carried a starting unit that managed just 21 points outside of them.
In his return, Embiid led the Philadelphia 76ers with a team-high 26 points, adding 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double, adding six assists. Paul George contributed 16 points, while Tyrese Maxey finished with 22 points on 50 percent shooting along with six assists.
Embiid returned for the first time since undergoing an emergency appendectomy two and a half weeks ago, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
The Boston Celtics held the Philadelphia 76ers to just 18 first-quarter points and built an 18-point halftime lead behind eight points from Brown, five from Tatum and 18 from Pritchard.
Philadelphia couldn't recover, trailing 95-74 after three quarters and continued to run away with the win throughout the fourth, extending the lead to as much as 32 points in the final quarter.
With a healthy Tatum back in the lineup, Boston is eyeing a return to the NBA Finals after its 2024 championship run, following last season's Eastern Conference semifinal exit when Tatum went down in Game 4.
The winner of the Boston Celtics-Philadelphia 76ers series will move on to the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they'll meet the victor of the No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Atlanta Hawks matchup, with the series tied 2-2.
Game 5 between Boston and Philadelphia is scheduled for Tuesday as the series shifts back to Boston.
