PHILADELPHIA — Celtics point guard Terry Rozier is 70 pounds lighter and 11 inches shorter than Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. Still, Rozier wasn’t about to back down from a challenge.


 


With 2:27 remaining in the first half of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday night, 76ers guard J.J. Redick stripped the ball from Rozier near the top of the key. Rozier tried to get it back, but [...]

TIM CASEY Special to The Journal

PHILADELPHIA — Celtics point guard Terry Rozier is 70 pounds lighter and 11 inches shorter than Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. Still, Rozier wasn’t about to back down from a challenge.

 

With 2:27 remaining in the first half of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday night, 76ers guard J.J. Redick stripped the ball from Rozier near the top of the key. Rozier tried to get it back, but he was called for a foul.

 

After a whistle, the 7-foot, 260-pound Embiid swatted at the ball while the 6-1, 190-pound Rozier was holding it. Rozier didn’t find it amusing, so he got in Embiid’s face and swung his forearm. The two had to be separated, and each was assessed a technical foul.

 

Embiid ended up getting the last laugh, as the 76ers won, 103-92, to keep the series alive. The Celtics lead 3-1 heading into Game 5 on Wednesday night at TD Garden.

 

The mini-fracas between Rozier and Embiid seemed to motivate each player. After their skirmish, Embiid made a 3-pointer, while Rozier countered on the other end with a 3 of his own. Rozier added a driving layup over Embiid with 17 seconds left, while Embiid ended the half with an open dunk to give the 76ers a 47-43 halftime lead.

 

Embiid finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Rozier had 11 points and eight rebounds but only made 4 of 11 field goals, including 1 of 6 3-pointers. Rozier downplayed any lingering friction between him and Embiid.

 

“It’s two guys, both fighting for their team,” he said.

 

Rozier entered Monday’s game leading the Celtics in points (19.0) and assists (6.5) during the postseason. He also had an NBA playoff-high 34 3-pointers and only committed 13 turnovers in 369 minutes.

 

Still, Rozier struggled during the three road games against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. He averaged 11.7 points per game and shot 27.8 percent from the field, including 26 percent on 3-pointers.

 

He didn’t have the same problem in Game 3 on Saturday, when he had 18 points, seven rebounds three assists and no turnovers. He wasn’t as effective on Monday, but he did take care of the ball, committing only one turnover in 39 minutes.

 

Despite the loss, history is on the Celtics’ side. No team in NBA history has won a playoff series after losing the first three games. In addition, the Celtics are 36-0 when winning the first two games in a best-of-seven series, while the 76ers are 0-11 when falling behind two games to none in a best-of-seven.

 

Technical for Stevens

 

Celtics coach Brad Stevens is known for his calm sideline demeanor.

 

On Monday night, though, he had had enough. With 3:18 remaining in the third quarter and the Celtics trailing, 70-62, Stevens was called for a technical foul shortly after the referees called forward Jaylen Brown for a technical. Brown had just been whistled for his fifth personal foul, as well.

 

To that point, the Celtics had 20 personal fouls, while the 76ers had 12. The foul trouble came at an inopportune time for the Celtics. Guard Shane Larkin sustained a left shoulder injury late in the first quarter. He didn’t return, so the Celtics played with an eight-man rotation most of the game.

 

“That has nothing to do with the officials,” he said. “We had to play better. They were very physical with us, and we ended up fouling a lot. But it didn’t change our substitution patterns in the second half or anything else.”

 

After missing the series opener with a strained hamstring, Brown came off the bench for the third consecutive game. He had eight points on 2-for-5 shooting in 23 minutes.

 

Brown didn’t think he deserved his technical.

 

“I was very surprised,” he said. “I don’t have a bad reputation of talking to officials or anything. I’m going to go back and look at it and then I’m definitely going to contact somebody to see what was going on there.”