Philadelphia 76ers star center and NBA MVP Joel Embiid returned to action Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics after missing the previous two games with a knee injury.
The injury seemed to affect Embiid, as he scored just 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting in 27 minutes of action. Philadelphia was also minus-23 with the big man on the court as it lost Game 2 in blowout fashion, 87-121.
Following his return to action and Philadelphia’s 34-point loss, Embiid talked to reporters about his injury. He doesn’t seem to be too concerned.
“I think I’ll be fine. I’ve played through a lot. We’ve got a big chance, and we’ve got to take advantage of it,” Embiid said, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.
Despite the blowout, the 76ers head home for Game 3 on Friday having stolen one in Boston. With the series tied at 1-1, they have taken home-court advantage away from the Celtics. That’s no small thing in what promises to be a hotly contested series moving forward.
If this were the regular season, Embiid wouldn’t be suiting up. The LCL sprain he suffered in the first round of the NBA playoffs typically requires four to six weeks of recovery time. Obviously, Embiid knows the significance of this series and was not going to sit it out.
Embiid’s return to action came one day after the former Kansas star won his first NBA MVP award in a landslide.
- Joel Embiid stats (2022-23): 33.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, 55% shooting
There has to be some question about Embiid’s health and whether he’ll be seen as a negative on the court. If he’s not near 100%, issues will continue to arise when it comes to spacing for Philadelphia.
Even then, having Embiid at 70% is better than sitting him altogether. Dating back to the start of the 2020-21 season, Philadelphia owns a 27-24 record with Embiid sidelined. It boasts a .686 winning percentage with Embiid in action during that span.
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