Joel Embiid did not appear until Game 4 of Philadelphia’s first-round series against Boston after undergoing an emergency appendectomy in April.
By the time the series ended, he had still piled up 112 points in four games, which made him the first player in NBA history to score 100 points in a playoff series despite missing the first three games.
That stat was tucked into the aftermath of Philadelphia’s Game 7 win, but it stands on its own.
Embiid returned in Game 4 and scored 26 points, followed that with 33 points in Game 5, had 19 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists in Game 6, and then closed the series with 34 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists in Game 7.
Added together, that gave him 112 points across the final four games of the series.
The number matters because of how unusual the setup was. Embiid was not playing through a minor issue or limited from the opening tip of the series.
He was out for the first three games entirely after surgery, then stepped into a playoff matchup with Boston already in front 3-1 once he returned.
Even with that late start, he still crossed the 100-point mark before the series ended.
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A record built in four games
Philadelphia needed all of it. The 76ers finished the comeback by winning Game 7, 109-100, knocking out the Celtics and becoming the first team in franchise history to erase a 3-1 series deficit.
Embiid’s scoring total is part of that bigger result, but it is also a separate record that gives the series a different place in league history.
Plenty of stars have missed playoff games and still returned. None had ever missed the first three games of a series and still found a way to score 100 or more before it was over.
The run also says something about the speed of the comeback on a personal level.
NBA coverage of his return noted that Game 4 came just 17 days after his appendectomy, ending a seven-game absence.
From there, he went straight into heavy playoff minutes and produced four straight games strong enough to set a record that had never been reached before.
So while the headline result was Philadelphia surviving the series, Embiid’s individual line deserves its own space. 112 points in four games is a big playoff scoring total on its own.
Doing it after missing the first three games of the series made it something the NBA had never seen before.
Philadelphia’s reward for finishing the comeback is an Eastern Conference semifinal series against the New York Knicks. Game 1 is set for Monday, May 4 at 8:00 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden, followed by Game 2 on Wednesday, May 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET.
The series then shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET and Game 4 on Sunday, May 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Embiid had an appendectomy on April 10, 2026 after being diagnosed with appendicitis, and the surgery initially left his postseason availability in doubt.
He returned for Game 4, which NBA coverage described as coming 17 days after the appendectomy and after a seven-game absence overall.
