Joel Embiid had been ruled OUT for Game 1 vs. the Boston Celtics, reports ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Philadelphia 76ers will now lean on James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris for their scoring.
Joel Embiid OUT for Game 1 vs. Celtics
Embiid's status has been murky in the week leading up to Game 1 at TD Garden. His official status on the NBA injury report is now out. Shams Charania reported on FanDuel TV's show “Run It Back” that he underwent platelet-rich plasma treatment as he tries to get ready to play in a hugely important playoff series.
Before being ruled out, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers speculated that Embiid would be doubtful to play as Philly prepared for Boston. Embiid has played through injuries in the playoffs before but the results have not been great. The Sixers have a very, very small shot of getting the best of the Celtics with him hobbled, let alone sidelined.
Meanwhile, the Celtics are fortunate enough to not have any injuries to worry about besides that of Danilo Gallinari, who is in the process of recovering from an ACL tear.
Game 1 of the series will be taking place at TD Garden in Boston, which will certainly be amped up for the second round. The Sixers will have their hands full without Joel Embiid, as the MVP frontrunner has been the majority of their offense this season. Tune in on Monday night to see if the Sixers can pull out the upset over the Celtics without Joel Embiid to begin the second round.