Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid remains doubtful for Game 1 of their East Conference semifinal matchup against last year’s NBA finalist, the Boston Celtics.
The Cameroonian is currently suffering from a right knee sprain that kept him out of the Sixers’ Game 4 in their first round series against the Brooklyn Nets, whom they completed a 4-0 sweep over to book a spot in the next round.
Embiid, who is this season’s frontrunner for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, ended the regular season averaging 33.1 points, which got him his second straight scoring title award. He also averaged 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists—tying his career high—and 1.0 steals per game in 66 games this season, the second most games he has played in his seven-year NBA career.
Sixers head coach Doc Rivers revealed on Thursday that the 29-year-old was absent from the team’s New Jersey training facility due to a doctor’s appointment.
“I’m just going to wait,” Rivers said. “They’ll call me later and we’ll see where he’s at.”
“If we played on Saturday, I don’t know how realistic it would have been, so that’s a good thing,” Rivers added.
Embiid’s postseason injury woes continue after he missed two games in the second-round last year. He was also absent for a game in the first round in 2021, two games in the 2018 playoffs due to an orbital fracture, and in 2019 with a knee injury.
Joel Embiid sustained the knee injury on this play after contesting this drive by Cam Johnson early in the 3rd quarter on Thursday night.pic.twitter.com/FjB2mfjmrT
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 22, 2023
However, his chances of returning for the semifinals against the Celtics are high after the seven-time champions were forced to a six-game series by the Atlanta Hawks, whom they dispersed 4-2 following a 128-120 win at the State Farm Arena in Georgia on Thursday.
Philadelphia and the Celtics will now begin their duel for a spot in the conference finals, with Game 1 scheduled for Monday, May 1, at the TD Garden in Boston.
The Celtics have homecourt advantage due to their superior regular-season record over the Sixers. The first two games will be played in Boston; the next two will be played at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia; and the other games will be alternated, with a possible Game 7 set to be played in Boston.
The Sixers would hope to have Embiid back fit for the series, as their leading man was in flourishing form in the four games he played against the Celtics in the regular season, averaging 36.8 points and 11.8 rebounds in that stretch.
