It’s not a secret that the Philadelphia 76ers need Joel Embiid on the court to beat the Boston Celtics.
They did manage to take one game away from them without him, and they do have a positive record when he doesn’t play.
But there’s absolutely no way that they play better without him, which is why the fans are right to be concerned about his health going forward.
Even so, the Cameroonian big man told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps that his knee shouldn’t be an issue for the remainder of the series, even though it got a little bit swollen after the game.
Joel Embiid on his health moving forward and if he’s concerned about his knee swelling up after playing tonight: “I think I’ll be fine. I’ve played through a lot. … We’ve got a big chance, and we’ve got to take advantage of it.”
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 4, 2023
Embiid missed his team’s past two games with an LCL injury, and he wasn’t at his best in his first game back from that ailment.
The reigning MVP scored 15 points on 4/9 shooting, grabbing three boards and also swatting five shots.
The Celtics dominated from the jump, so there was no point in having him out there risking further injury late in the game, so he ended up playing just 26 minutes.
Boston has been Embiid’s kryptonite throughout his career.
He’s 10-12 against the Celtics, but he’s also 1-9 in the playoffs.
Al Horford and Robert Williams III are perhaps the two guys better suited to guard him in the whole league, and that’s obviously an issue for this team going forward.
Perhaps, it would be better for Doc Rivers to game-plan for James Harden and Tyrese Maxey, especially if Embiid isn’t at full strength.
For now, all that matters is that the big man is there.
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The 76ers Had An Alarming Stat In Game 2 Loss To Celtics
