Joel Embiid came alive to help hand the Boston Celtics their second defeat of the opening round. The former MVP dropped 33 points on 12-of-23 shooting to make the Celtics' life difficult, especially as Tyrese Maxey and Quentin Grimes also found ways to get themselves going throughout the game. Embiid was also an impactful presence on the defensive end, playing a drop big man protecting the rim.

The defeat is Boston's second on its home court since the start of the playoffs. Following the loss, the Celtics will head back to Philadelphia, where they will look to close out the series in front of a hostile Sixers crowd.

When speaking with the media after the loss, Celtics' head coach Joe Mazzulla backed his team to figure out how to overcome Embiid's presence on the floor.

“I mean, I will go back and watch it," Mazzulla said. "I think, again, you’re just looking for the best shot in every possession. So the guys felt like they could lay it in there despite him. JT (Jayson Tatum) got a layup on him, and JB (Jaylen Brown) drew a foul on him, and we had some great kick-outs. So, I’ll take a look at it, but you know, trust the guys to make the right play.”

Embiid missed the opening two games of the series following a recent appendectomy. He struggled in game three. However, the veteran center figured out how to punish Boston's big man rotation on Tuesday night. As such, Mazzulla and his coaching staff will need to come up with something that stops Embiid from being such a significant swing factor. The Celtics may also need to alter their offensive approach if they're going to get easier looks at the rim.

Otherwise, the Celtics could be looking at a potential game seven, and that is the furthest thing from ideal.

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Joe Mazzulla has trust Celtics' can find ways to score on Embiid