The Philadelphia 76ers lead the Brooklyn Nets 3-0 in their first-round playoff series, but there is still some concern surrounding them.
After a physical and chippy Game 3 in Brooklyn, Sixers superstar Joel Embiid was found to have a sprained knee, and he will reportedly miss Game 4 as a result, although there is optimism he will be able to return to game action soon afterward.
ESPN Sources with @Ramonashelburne: An MRI revealed Sixers star Joel Embiid suffered a sprained right knee and will miss Game 4 vs. Brooklyn on Saturday. There’s optimism he could be ready to return as soon as early next week. pic.twitter.com/Btwm3ls8Vh
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 22, 2023
Embiid had his best season ever this year, averaging a league-high 33.1 points a game while shooting a career-best 54.8 percent from the field in the regular season, and he seems to be the favorite right now to take home the MVP award.
However, he has played beneath his standards against the young and hungry Nets.
After a solid 26 points in Game 1, he had just 20 points in Game 2 and 14 points in Game 3 on Thursday, and although the Sixers now have an opportunity to sweep Brooklyn, they haven’t looked impressive.
They played a poor first half in Game 2, and they allowed the Nets to outscore them 35-18 in the third quarter on Thursday, which has led many to feel they’re playing down to the level of their competition.
Even if Embiid makes a quick recovery, this level of play won’t get it done for Philly should it advance to the next round and face their arch-rival Boston Celtics there.
Embiid, in particular, needs to lead the way by doing lots of damage in the paint instead of settling for perimeter shots, which he has a tendency to do sometimes.
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