NBA Analysts Refuse to Count Out Philadelphia 76ers Despite Joel Embiid’s Absence

The Philadelphia 76ers are down 0-2, Joel Embiid is hurting again, and yet nobody around the league seems fully ready to bury them. That alone says a lot about how dangerous Philadelphia still looks when the roster finds rhythm. Even without Embiid in Game 2, the Sixers pushed the New York Knicks deep into the fourth quarter before the offense completely stalled late.

The concern, though, is obvious. Embiid’s body is once again becoming the story of Philadelphia’s postseason. Per reports from Wednesday night and comments shared by coach Nick Nurse, the former MVP woke up with added ankle and hip soreness before being ruled out hours before tipoff. The timing also mattered. Philadelphia had just survived a seven-game battle against Boston, and the 32-year-old had already looked limited physically in the Game 1 blowout loss.

That’s why comments from analysts like Lou Williams and Chandler Parsons caught attention after the loss. Despite the injuries and the 2-0 deficit, both still believe Philadelphia has enough talent to fight back once the series shifts home.

“Winning is hard…having Joel Embiid out makes it tough, but they still have enough,” said Lou Williams.

“There’s so much basketball left…what can Bona, Drummond give them?” said Chandler Parsons.