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Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers returned in Game 4 against the Boston Celtics.

The Philadelphia 76ers welcomed back Joel Embiid on Game 4 of their first-round series against the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

However, the Sixers were no match for the surging Celtics in what turned out to be a 128-96 blowout. The Celtics are now up 3-1 in the Best-of-7 series, needing one more win from eliminating Philly from the 2026 NBA playoffs.

Payton Pritchard had a monster game off the bench, finishing with 32 points on 12-for-21 shooting. Jayson Tatum put up 30 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists, while Jaylen Brown added 20 points and seven boards.

Meanwhile, Embiid had 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in his first game back since undergoing an emergency appendectomy on April 9. Tyrese Maxey contributed 22 points and six assists.

Joel Embiid on Being Down 3-1 to Boston

GettyJoel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 16, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

After the Sixers’ loss in Game 4, Joel Embiid’s postseason record against the Celtics dropped to an abysmal 3-13. Embiid hasn’t had the best success against the men in green, but he hasn’t lost hope regarding the series.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Embiid deflected a question about his relationship with the Sixers front office and management.

Instead, Embiid focused on sending a message to his teammates about overcoming a 3-1 deficit in the postseason.

“Down 3-1 has been done before,” Embiid said, via HoopsHype. “Going out in Boston is going to be tough, but that’s a really good team. We know what to do well. We know some of the mistakes we made tonight. Now, it’s on us to try to figure it out how to fix them and go out there, and with everything on the line, play the best basketball possible.”

It has been a while since an NBA team has come back from a 3-1 deficit. The last team to accomplish the feat was the Denver Nuggets in the 2020 Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Joel Embiid Opens Up About Emergency Surgery

GettyJoel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers wipes sweat from his face during first half of their NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on January 12, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Health has always been a problem for Joel Embiid since he was drafted third overall in 2014. Embiid appeared in just 38 games this season, averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 blocks.

The former MVP has not been cleared to play in back-to-back games. He has also dealt with issues with his knees, ankle and oblique this season. He then had to undergo emergency surgery earlier this month because of appendicitis.

After the Sixers’ Game 4 loss, Embiid was asked about his surgery and what it felt like to be back on the court less than three weeks after the procedure.

“When this first started, I couldn’t walk going into the hospital,” Embiid said, via John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Just dealing with so many stuff. I don’t want to get into the details, but it’s been tough. But that’s life. What am I gonna do? Cry about it?”

Game 5 of the Celtics-Sixers series is on Tuesday at the TD Garden in Boston. It’s a must-win situation for the Sixers to keep their season alive.