The Philadelphia 76ers took care of business in their first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets, but they may now have a bigger concern looming.
After the 76ers eliminated the Nets on Saturday with a 96-88 win to finish off the 4-0 sweep, Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers commented on Joel Embiid’s injury. Embiid did not play in the game due to a right knee sprain.
Rivers said that he is unsure if Embiid will be ready for the start of the next round, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Rivers added that the chances of Embiid being out there for Game 1 were “probably 50 percent, at best.”
The six-time All-Star Embiid was injured during Game 3 against the Nets on Thursday. He is believed to have suffered the sprain on one particular fall to the deck in the third quarter (video here).
Any sort of knee issue is a concern for a two-way guy like Embiid who plays with force and is often flinging his body around the court. Embiid is also a seven-footer with a history of lower-body injuries, adding to the unease.
The good news for the 76ers is that they finished off their first-round series early. Meanwhile, the series to determine their next opponent (the Boston Celtics vs. the Atlanta Hawks) is still ongoing. The Celtics currently lead 2-1 and cannot close out that series until Tuesday at the earliest (with Philly’s second-round series likely not starting until the next weekend).
But this has to feel like déjà vu all over again for 76ers fans. You may recall that Embiid missed time to start the second round last postseason too.
