Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla drops truth bomb on Joel Embiid after Game 4 blowout

It must have thrown a bit of a wrench in the Boston Celtics’ game plan for Game 4 against the Philadelphia 76ers when it was announced that Joel Embiid was returning to action after an absence caused by appendectomy. Embiid had missed the prior three games of the series, and now, the 76ers were getting back one of their primary scoring options to perhaps make life easier for the team to score. But his return scarcely mattered in the end, as Boston was dominant from the get-go en route to a 128-96 victory.

Nonetheless, Embiid being back can be scary; everyone in the NBA knows just how dominant he can be when he’s firing on all cylinders. The Celtics have to cover all bases, and head coach Joe Mazzulla is showing the former MVP the respect he deserves even as they’ve taken a 3-1 series lead.

“Embiid missed some shots he’ll make. You’re not going to be able to stop him. You just have to contain him,” Mazzulla said in his postgame presser, via ClutchPoints Celtics beat reporter Daniel Donabedian.

Joe Mazzulla said the Celtics’ defense was good but he understands that the Sixers also just missed some shots:

“Embiid missed some shots he’ll make.”

He also spoke on their defense vs. Embiid:

“You’re not going to be able to stop him. You just have to contain him.” pic.twitter.com/CMEDdFQEcW

— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) April 27, 2026

Indeed, Embiid did miss a few shots he’d normally make, although the Celtics deserve credit for adjusting as needed. They bludgeoned the 76ers on the glass all while dominating them from beyond the arc, which is an easy ticket for a 32-point victory.

Perhaps Embiid’s return even helped; without him, the 76ers were deploying Adem Bona and Andre Drummond at the five. Bona and Drummond provided more vertical spacing than Embiid did, and it allowed Philly to play faster with the ball predominantly in Tyrese Maxey and Paul George’s hands.

Be that as it may, the Celtics can only play the team that’s in front of them, and they maximized the matchups that the 76ers presented to them. And they will now look to finish the series on Tuesday when they take the court for Game 5 at 7:00 PM E.T.

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