Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

76ers receive positive update on Joel Embiid's status

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 5/3/23

It's possible that Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid marks his MVP victory by returning against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.

Per Shams Charania, Embiid is "on track" to play in Game 2.

After winning MVP last night, during a quick 76ers celebration, Joel Embiid turned to the team and said: “I’m back.”

Embiid is indeed on track to return tonight in Game 2 vs. Celtics barring setbacks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 3, 2023

Embiid hasn't played since April 20, and if he returns, it will be nearly a month from when he likely sealed his 2023 MVP. On April 4, he scored 52 points on 80 percent shooting in a 103-101 regular-season win over Boston.

James Harden stole the headlines in Game 1 with a vintage 45-point performance — including the winning three-pointer with 8.1 seconds left — but Philadelphia's defensive effort can't be overlooked. Despite the Celtics shooting a blistering 58.7 percent from the field in Game 1, the 76ers had 10 steals in the 119-115 win and lead the NBA with 8.8 steals per game in the playoffs.

A big reason for Boston's gaudy shooting percentage was its production in the paint, where it scored 66 points. Embiid's presence should drastically impact those easy looks. Philadelphia allowed an average of 34 points in the paint per game in Embiid's three playoff starts compared to 53 points in the paint per game in the two games he's missed.

Per tracking data from NBA.com, Boston shot 33-of-47 (70.2 percent) in the paint in Game 1. In the teams' April 4 game, the Celtics were 22-of-40 (55 percent) in the paint.

By finally winning MVP, Embiid's worth is well-known. He might get another chance to prove just how valuable he is sooner than the Celtics would have liked.

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