Entering the much-anticipated second-round series between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers, Sixers star center Joel Embiid is dealing with a knee injury. Embiid is currently listed as doubtful to play in Game 1, and it's unclear at this juncture when exactly he'll be ready to play for Philadelphia. But ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski recently provided a hopeful injury update on Embiid and hinted at the possibility that he will play in Game 2, per a tweet from ClutchPoints' official Twitter account:

Joel Embiid, 29, is in his seventh year in the NBA, all as a member of the storied Sixers franchise. He averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.7 blocks, and 3.4 turnovers per game across 66 appearances this season (all starts).

The Cameroon native shot the ball with great efficiency from the field in the 2022-23 campaign, at least by his standards — Embiid's 54.8% field-goal percentage was the highest of his pro career by a wide margin.

The Sixers need Embiid to return to the lineup as soon as possible if they want a legitimate chance at winning this series. If Embiid comes back in Game 2, as Woj alluded to, the Sixers should be in good shape. But if Embiid has to miss more than two games of this series, it's hard to imagine that the Sixers will come out on top against a very deep and loaded Celtics squad. So with all this in mind, here's to hoping that Embiid will sit out no more than one game of what should be a very fun series.