The Philadelphia 76ers had some bad news become good news when they had MVP candidate Joel Embiid ready to go for Game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks. Embiid came into the series with his status in jeopardy after suffering an injury against the Washington Wizards. However, it isn't all good news, as Sixers head coach Doc Rivers touched on the situation regarding his star center.

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That doesn't exactly scream confidence from Doc, and who can blame him? Embiid has been incredibly injury-prone in his NBA career and another injury could spell doom for the Sixers' chances at an NBA title.

In Game 1, Embiid dropped 39 points on 12-21 from the field and nine rebounds and played 38 minutes in a four-point loss to the Hawks. He was phenomenal and looked the part of the NBA MVP candidate that he is. The Sixers finished with the top mark in the Eastern Conference primarily due to the outstanding play from Embiid.

However, the Hawks stole Game 1 and the Sixers need to respond in a big way– and hopefully Embiid is healthy enough to do damage and find a way for them to even the series. As the playoffs go on, it will be a huge story to keep an eye on regarding the injury to Joel Embiid.