Payton Pritchard erupts in Celtics blowout of Sixers in Game 4

The Boston Celtics looked to take a commanding leading over the Philadelphia 76ers in their first round matchup on Sunday, and relied on their bench to carry them while the stars struggled in the first half. The matchup between the two teams was expected to get a big boost in star power as center Joel Embiid returned for the first time in the series for Philadelphia, but it was much for nothing as the Celtics dominated beginning to end in Game 4. Boston's blowout victory was so dominant that head coach Joe Mazzulla emptied the bench with approximately 4 minutes left in the final quarter, on a night where he didn't need his superstars to carry his team.

Last year's Sixth Man of the Year, Payton Pritchard, not only led the Celtics, but had a game-high 32 points, the second most off the bench in franchise history since the 1970-71 season. Here's a quick recap of Boston's blowout victory in Game 4: Final score: Boston Celtics 128, Philadelphia 76ers 96 Keys to the game: Payton Pritchard: While Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum struggled out of the gate, Payton Pritchard not only picked up the starters, but he set the tone for Boston in Game 4 against the Sixers. Pritchard finished the night shooting 12-21 from the floor, including 50% from 3-point range, and also adding 5 assists and 4 rebounds to his stat line.

Pritchard was everywhere on the court throughout his 32 minutes of play, which led the team for time played. Second half stars: Brown and Tatum eventually joined the party started by Pritchard, exploding in the third quarter and working their way to end the night combining for 50 points between the two of them. In total, Pritchard, Tatum, and Brown would combined for 82 of the team's 128 points, and as for Tatum, he remained on the floor later than Brown did at the end of the game, finishing 3 rebounds shy of a triple-double in the victory.

Little support for Joel Embiid : In his first game back from an appendectomy, Embiid didn't seem to miss a step, playing 34 minutes while scoring 26 points, adding 10 rebounds, and 6 assists for a very impressive return. However, there was very little help around Embiid, as Tyrese Maxey and Paul George combined for just 38 points between them, and rookie VJ Edgecombe finished the night with just 6 points. The presence of Embiid certainly changes the strategy for Philadelphia's offense, but if they want to keep the series alive, Embiid will need his teammates to step up.