Celtics Star Shrugs Off Joel Embiid’s Return for 76ers in Game 4: “Didn’t Talk About It at All”
Feb 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on against the Dallas Mavericks in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images ©Feb 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on against the Dallas Mavericks in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Fans inside Xfinity Mobile Arena broke into massive applause and chants of MVP when Joel Embiid was finally back.
17 days removed from undergoing an emergency appendectomy in Houston, the Philadelphia 76ers star had a double-double on his return. But it seems the Boston Celtics were seemingly not worried about his addition, which was announced 30 minutes before the tip-off. Payton Pritchard dropped 32 points off the bench, helping the Beantown go up 3-1 in the series.
It was the second time this week he was asked about the change in tactics or change in mindset when it comes to guarding Embiid. “No, mindset didn’t change for us, and honestly, as far as scouting goes, we just changed maybe a small adjustment right before the game, but we didn’t talk about it at all,” said the Celtics star after the game. This was done not to discredit the impact of the former MVP.
“Obviously, he’s a tremendous player, and he can be a tough cover. But for us is you know, it’s focused on us and how we want to play, and it’s on both ends. You know being into the ball defensively, crashing the glass, then just making the right read.
So I thought we did a good job of crashing the glass tonight and getting second chances. That can be the difference. ” In this entire series, the Celtics have out-rebounded the 76ers.
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