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76ers Trail 3-1, Embiid Probable After Appendectomy

4/28/2026

37 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Embiid Returns

The Philadelphia 76ers travel to Boston for Game 5 on April 28, 2026, trailing the series 3-1.
Center Joel Embiid is listed as probable after undergoing an emergency appendectomy on April 9, 2026.
In Game 4, Embiid played 34 minutes, scoring 26 points with 10 rebounds and six assists on 9-of-21 shooting.
Boston enters Game 5 as 11.5-point favorites with the over/under set at 215, while the game starts at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Summary

Celtics Set Record

Celtics set a franchise playoff record with 24 made three-pointers in Game 4.
Payton Pritchard posted a career-playoff high of 32 points and six three-pointers.
Jayson Tatum recorded 30 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, his highest assist total this postseason.
Boston’s bench contributed 15.8 points per game, with Neemias Queta adding 9.0 points and 5.8 rebounds.

History

Historical Context

After Danny Ainge’s 2007 trades brought Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to join Paul Pierce, Boston’s ‘Big Three’ produced a 66-16 record in 2008 – the league’s 42-game turnaround. That championship-season model of depth and three-point shooting now frames the 2026 Eastern semifinal, where the Celtics face a Joel Embiid-less 76ers.

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Embiid Returns

The Philadelphia 76ers travel to Boston for Game 5 on April 28, 2026, trailing the series 3-1.
Center Joel Embiid is listed as probable after undergoing an emergency appendectomy on April 9, 2026.
In Game 4, Embiid played 34 minutes, scoring 26 points with 10 rebounds and six assists on 9-of-21 shooting.
Boston enters Game 5 as 11.5-point favorites with the over/under set at 215, while the game starts at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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