Joel Embiid’s high-profile return to the Philadelphia 76ers’ squad did not go as expected, as the team lost Game 4, 96-128. NBA analyst and popular host Stephen A. Smith highlighted that in his latest appearance and berated the 76ers center for not showing up when needed. He also criticized Embiid for his injury woes.
Embiid was sidelined earlier in April after he underwent sudden appendicitis surgery and returned to the team in less than 20 days. Featuring on First Take, the analyst shared his opinion on the 2023 NBA MVP’s condition and performance, and said:
“I don’t think you can get anything for [Joel Embiid] because he is always injured. Nobody is going to give up any real assets for him. … V.J. Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey are the future of this franchise.”
Embiid already suffered from right knee pain in January and an oblique injury a month after that. Then, he underwent an appendectomy just before the postseason began. He played just 38 games in the 2025-26 regular season and 19 games in the last regular season. His last three seasons have been riddled with injuries.
Joel Embiid scored a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds, but shot 9-21 from the field. Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points and had six assists. The 76ers had a 53% true shooting percentage compared to the Celtics’ 64.4%. The efficiency is an issue! Offensive rebounding was another struggle for the team in the last game. Embiid also reiterated that.
“Offensive rebounding hurt us,” Joel Embiid highlights Game 4 issues
Kelly Oubre Jr. did not have a good game with a plus-minus of -31. He could not make any of his six shots and scored two points from three throws. VJ Edgecombe also suffered on the offensive end, shooting 2-9 from the field and 0-4 from deep. The 76ers had six offensive rebounds in the entire game compared to the Celtics’ 14.
Joel Embiid opened up about that and other struggles the team faced and said, via Sixerswire:
“I think they believe in what they believe, which is shoot a lot of 3s, and they believe they can make enough of it to win every single game. Tonight, offensive rebounding hurt us a little bit—a lot, actually. I think 3s equal long rebounds. It felt like we keep coming in. Instead, you know, we should go towards our man and check them before even looking at the ball, and that’s an adjustment. We’ve had that problem all season. So, we got to do a better job.”
It might be too late to do a “better job,” it seems, as the 76ers are on the verge of elimination. The Celtics will now return home to TD Garden on April 28, looking to end the series. It’s high time the 76ers gear up and start making their shots.
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