Magic Johnson showed respect for one of his fiercest historical rivals after the Boston Celtics surged to a 3-1 series lead over the Sixers. With the Celtics winning Game 3, their momentum into Game 4 drove the NBA icon to describe the win as the best team performance of the playoffs.

Johnson built his reputation battling Larry Bird’s Celtics in the ‘80s, creating an iconic rivalry. Decades later, Johnson continues to recognize the Boston side’s brilliance. Following the Celtics’ dominant 128-96 Game 4 victory, Johnson praised the team on X.

“I just witnessed the best all-around team performance in the NBA Playoffs so far by the Boston Celtics in their victory over the Philadelphia 76ers 128-96!  Their defense was amazing, and offensively they made a total of 24 3’s!” wrote Magic Johnson. 

The Celtics entered the contest with clear intent. Joel Embiid, who returned to the 76ers following his appendectomy, propelled the Philadelphia offense with a quick 8 points. The Celts responded immediately with an 11-2 teardown. A sequence capped by a difficult three-pointer from Payton Pritchard. That was the story for the rest of the night. 

The Celtics finished with 24 made threes, shooting at 45% from the arc. In contrast, the Sixers could manage only 9 three-pointers. Magic Johnson further in his post lauded the Celtics leaders, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, for their combined 50-point effort. At the same time, he had a special word on Pritchard. 

“Pritchard was the man that had the crowd going crazy with his dynamic 32 points off the bench,” added Johnson. Even the Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla lauded the guard’s competitiveness and said, “We are at our best when he's aggressive.”

As a cherry on ‌top, the legend credited Mazzulla for enabling his team to play the “best basketball at the right time.”

Amid Magic Johnson’s praise, Nick Nurse highlights the Sixers' mistakes

While the Celtics gained control of the series, Nick Nurse focused on the 76ers’ shortcomings following the loss.

The Sixers' head coach, Nick Nurse, felt that the team lacked intent.

In the post-game presser, he said, “The tactical stuff isn’t going to mean anything if we’re not going to play with better energy, toughness, guarding, rebounding.”

Nurse noted the team’s lack of focus made it impossible to execute their schemes, remarking, "It’s hard to watch and it’s hard to explain, too," per Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.

The series now shifts to TD Garden for Game 5, as the Sixers face elimination pressure. The hostile Boston environment and the Celtics’ current momentum present a difficult challenge.

To extend their postseason run, the Sixers will require stronger production from their core trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey. Without a sharp response, the Celts could easily close the game.

Will the 76ers be able to push the Celtics back in Game 5? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Shahul Hameed

Edited by

Surjo Roy