76ers’ Embiid returns for Game 4 vs. Celtics

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid made a surprise return to the starting lineup for the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night and received a roaring ovation in pregame introductions for Game 4 of their first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics only 17 days after having an appendectomy.

Embiid wasted little time scoring in his first game since April 6. The two-time NBA scoring champion — who hoped to spark a Sixers team that trails 2-1 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series — sank two free throws for the Sixers’ first points of the game, added a monster two-handed jam and scored the team’s first eight points.

Embiid was listed as doubtful to start the day and was upgraded to questionable about 90 minutes before the scheduled tipoff. Embiid returned to the court wearing a protective brace around his midsection, and was cleared to play about 40 minutes before the start of Game 4.

The 32-year-old Embiid averaged 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds this season after playing in only 19 games in 2024-25. He hasn’t appeared in as many as 40 games in a regular season since 2022-23, when he averaged a career-best 33.1 points and earned MVP honours.

Embiid had an appendectomy in Houston on April 9 after Philadelphia’s star big man was stricken with appendicitis overnight.

Of course, it’s unclear just how productive or how long Embiid could play in Game 4. Sixers coach Nick Nurse had no answers ahead of the game to both of those questions, but it’s clear the 2023 NBA MVP should at least provide an emotional lift to a Sixers team that was a 7 1/2-point home underdog to the Celtics, according to oddsmakers.

The Celtics won Game 1 by 32 points and the Sixers responded with a surprise 111-97 win in Boston in Game 2. Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points and shot the Sixers into a fourth-quarter lead in Game 3 before Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown took over down the stretch for the Celtics in a 108-100 victory.

Embiid joined Maxey, rookie standout VJ Edgecombe, Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. in the starting lineup.

Embiid’s absence in the play-in tournament win over Orlando and the first three playoff games against Boston continues a trend of injury-plagued postseasons.

In 2024, Embiid played in the playoffs through a bout with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis. He wore sunglasses to the podium after he scored 50 points in the Sixers’ Game 3 win over the Knicks and said at the time he was dealing with various symptoms such as blurred vision and dry eyes.

A year earlier, Embiid missed a playoff game in two series because of a sprained right knee.

In 2022, the Sixers won 51 games under coach Doc Rivers and had a great chance at a deep playoff run until Embiid suffered a right orbital fracture and a concussion when he was hit in the face by Toronto’s Pascal Siakam. He also suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb. Embiid missed two games in a second-round series against Miami. The Sixers lost both games and the series, 4-2.

Embiid missed one game in the 2021 playoffs with a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Embiid missed one playoff game in 2019 and two in 2018 with injuries.