The Celtics made Joel Embiid the target and Philly couldn’t avoid it

Attention to detail is one of Boston’s most overlooked strengths.

There are plenty to choose from — volume three-point shooting, defensive connectivity, late-game composure. But it’s the precision and thoroughness of the minutiae that often sets them apart.

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Their preparation allows them to identify pressure points quickly, and then push on them until something breaks.

Their latest win over the Sixers was a clear example.

The Boston Celtics are no stranger to Joel Embiid. He’s been a recurring playoff antagonist for roughly a decade. Despite his individual dominance, Embiid has been open about how lopsided this non-rivalry has been.

Historically, Boston has found ways to exploit the cracks in his Sixers teams. In Game 4 with Embiid returning to the floor, they made him the focal point of their offensive attack.

On the very first possession, Boston brings Embiid directly into the action.

With Queta setting a high screen for Tatum, they force Embiid out beyond the three-point line, immediately testing his agility. Tatum causes confusion with his handle, and with both defenders drawn to him, he feeds Queta for a tone-setting slam.

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Boston wants to make Embiid defend in space as much as possible. It pulls a dominant rim protector out of the paint and eliminates any chance for him to rest while trying to find an offensive rhythm.

A few possessions later, they put the pressure on him again.

Two minutes into his return from appendicitis, Embiid is responsible for defending both the ball and the roll man as Derrick White gets downhill off a pair of screens. To his credit, Embiid contains the ball fairly well, but Maxey gets lost in the play and White has too much room to find Queta again for the dunk.

Embiid had early success offensively, but it came with a growing workload on the defensive end.

Here, Vucevic screens and then re-screens for Tatum. Embiid is dragged all the way out to the logo before having to recover back to the corner. This isn’t sustainable, and it may have been the moment Philly started to rethink its coverages.

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From that point forward, the Sixers became more…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/celtics-made-joel-embiid-target-100500044.html

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Publish date : 2026-04-28 10:05:00

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