{"id":28782,"date":"2026-04-26T23:34:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T23:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/?p=28782"},"modified":"2026-04-26T23:34:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T23:34:26","slug":"3-things-to-watch-in-celtics-sixers-game-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/?p=28782","title":{"rendered":"3 things to watch in Celtics-Sixers Game 4"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re a title contender, you want to take care of business in the first round. And, up 2-1, the Boston Celtics would surely love to take control of their first round series<\/a> with the Philadelphia 76ers by sweeping two games in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

The Sixers should be the desperate team, having lost home-court advantage on Friday night, unable to get any stops down the stretch of Game 3.<\/p>\n

Here are three things to watch for in Game 4 on Sunday (7 ET, NBC\/Peacock<\/strong><\/a>):<\/p>\n

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1. The return of Embiid?<\/h3>\n

Joel Embiid has missed the first three games of this series, recovering from an appendectomy in the last week of the season. But he wasn\u2019t ruled out of Game 3 until about two hours before tip time, and he was listed as doubtful on the initial, Game 4 injury report.<\/p>\n

The Sixers were just 11-10 with Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and Embiid all in the lineup, including just 5-7 against playoff teams. But they were at their best in the regular season (plus-5.8 points per 100 possessions<\/a>) with Embiid on the floor, with the bigger impact coming on offense.<\/p>\n

Even when he\u2019s limited, Embiid makes the Sixers a better team, and the on-off differential has been magnified in the playoffs. Over his seven postseasons, the Sixers have been an amazing 17.1 points per 100 possessions better with Embiid on the floor than they\u2019ve been with him off the floor.<\/p>\n

Sixers playoff efficiency, 2018-2024<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Embiid on\/off<\/th>\nMIN<\/th>\nOffRtg<\/th>\nDefRtg<\/th>\nNetRtg<\/th>\n+\/-<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
On floor<\/td>\n2,083<\/td>\n114.0<\/td>\n106.1<\/td>\n+7.9<\/td>\n+322<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Off floor<\/td>\n1,153<\/td>\n103.3<\/td>\n112.5<\/td>\n-9.2<\/td>\n-218<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Diff.<\/td>\n\n10.7<\/td>\n-6.3<\/td>\n17.1<\/td>\n\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

OffRtg = Team\u2019s points scored per 100 possessions
DefRtg = Team\u2019s points allowed per 100 possessions
NetRtg = Team\u2019s point differential per 100 possessions<\/em><\/p>\n

The effect has almost always been there, even though those seven postseasons have come under three different head coaches, with varying supporting casts, and against a bevy of opponents.<\/p>\n

Embiid played in two games<\/a> against the Celtics this season, but both of those were in October. He was better (20 points on 6-for-13 shooting) in the Sixers\u2019 home loss on Halloween than he was (four points, 1-for-9) in their opening-night win in Boston.<\/p>\n

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2. It\u2019s a make-or-miss series<\/h3>\n

All three games in this series have gone the way of the better 3-point shooting team \u2026<\/p>\n