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Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid could end up sidelined once again in Game 2 of their NBA Playoffs series with the Boston Celtics.
In the latest injury report, Embiid has been listed as doubtful for the contest due to the right-knee injury he sustained during their first-round series with the Brooklyn Nets, per Sam DiGiovanni of ClutchPoints. To recall, Embiid suffered from an LCL sprain in Game 3 against the Nets, though the injury appears to be more serious than reported as the Sixers big man had to get platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to help deal with the pain.
While there were hopes that Embiid would be available to return by Game 2 of the Celtics series, it's clear he hasn't made significant progress, resulting to his “Doubtful” label.
Sixers vs Celtics Game 2 injury report lists Joel Embiid as doubtful and Marcus Smart as questionable with a chest contusion pic.twitter.com/5apoRHDPDG
— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) May 2, 2023
If Joel Embiid ends up missing more games in the Celtics series, it will certainly be problematic for the Sixers.
While Philly was able to draw first blood behind James Harden's 45-point explosion in Game 1, they can't expect Boston to always play and execute as poorly as they did in the opener. Embiid's presence is crucial for the Sixers if they want to control and dominate the series against the Celtics. After all, it's impossible for Philadelphia to find a replacement for his 33-10-4 production.
Certainly, winning Game 1 lessens the pressure on Embiid to rush his return. But the fact that the big man's status hasn't really changed is definitely concerning and only raises more fears about a potentially longer recovery process.
For now, the Sixers faithful can only stay patient and hope for the best when it comes to Embiid's injury.
