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Tyrese Maxey shot 50 percent in Game 4

With the shocking return of Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers had the full cavalry together for Game 4 against the Boston Celtics.

Despite the return of the former scoring champion, the Sixers fell 126-98 at Xfinity Mobile Arena, and are now on the verge of elimination.

When speaking to reporters after the game, All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey called the Sixers’ Game 4 performance “unacceptable.”

“That can’t happen. That’s unacceptable. That’s on me. I take full responsibility on that one.”

Maxey finished the game with 22 points on 50 percent shooting, but attempted just three first-half shots.

The Sixers guard added that the team didn’t offer enough defensive resistance in the blowout loss.

“They just kind of just moved us around, pushed us around, offensively and defensively. Got it to wherever spot they wanted to get to. No resistance, and that’s unacceptable.”

Speaking with reporters after the game, VJ Edgecombe, 20, was asked what was most disappointing about the loss, and offered a one-word response.

“Effort,” Edgecombe told reporters.

The Sixers surrendered seven offensive rebounds in the first quarter and routinely failed to close out on Celtics shooters. Philly never held the lead, despite the home-court advantage.

Joel Embiid Led Sixers in Scoring in Return

After ramping up in practice throughout last week, Embiid returned from a three-week absence in Game 4.

The former MVP looked strong in the first quarter, scoring the team’s first eight points. He drew two early fouls on Neemias Queta and went a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.

Although he finished with a team-high 26 points, Embiid was noticeably rusty.

His often reliable mid-range jumper was not falling, and the seven-time All-Star looked gassed throughout the second half.

Following the game, Embiid noted that he suffered “complications” during his recovery that made an on-court return challenging.

“It was tough because I had some complications after the surgery,” he told reporters.

Embiid revealed that he could hardly walk in early April. His limited mobility prevented him from getting crucial basketball reps heading into the playoffs.

“It sucks. What am I gonna do? Cry about it? When it started, I couldn’t walk. Going into the hospital.”

Regarding which type of complications, the Olympic gold medalist didn’t specify further.

“I don’t want to get into the detail.”

Sixers Lose Crucial Homestand

Home court has not been much of an advantage for the Sixers this season.

Hosting a playoff matchup for the first time in over 700 days, the Sixers dropped Game 3 and Game 4 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. They are 0-2 in the postseason in the Hardwood Classic jerseys.

On paper, this isn’t a David versus Goliath matchup, but it certainly looked like one in Game 4.

As it has in the past, the dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown has proved difficult for the Sixers to handle.

Tatum finished with 30 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. He converted five of his ten three-point attempts.

Notably, the Celtics star tied Russell Westbrook for eighth on the all-time playoff scoring list.

Tatum leads the NBA in playoff points since entering the league in 2017.

The Sixers will now travel to Boston, where their season hangs in the balance.