76ers' Joel Embiid: 39-point effort not enough Thursday
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Embiid provided 39 points (12-25 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 13-13 FT), 13 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 40 minutes before fouling out of Thursday's 118-115 loss to the Knicks in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Embiid was clearly not 100 percent healthy throughout the series, and the limitations were more noticeable as the series progressed but still posted outstanding stat lines, scoring 29 or more points in four of the six contests. He also recorded three double-doubles and a triple-double, but he couldn't do the heavy lifting on his own in the games where Tyrese Maxey struggled. Between the Play-In win over the Heat and the first-round series against the Knicks, Embiid averaged 31.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.3 blocks across 41.0 minutes per game.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Available for Game 6
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Embiid (knee) is available and starting in Game 6 against the Knicks on Thursday.
This is not a surprise considering the situation the 76ers are in, as Philadelphia must win this game to force a decisive Game 7. Embiid is averaging 31.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game in the first-round series against the Knicks.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Questionable for Game 6
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Embiid (knee) is questionable for Game 6 against the Knicks on Thursday.
Embiid has been listed as questionable for every game in this series so far, but he's yet to miss a game, so he feels much closer to probable. While the reigning MVP hasn't looked 100 percent, he continues to stuff the stat sheet and has averaged 31.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals in 41.8 minutes.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Triple-doubles in win
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Embiid ended with 19 points (7-19 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 16 rebounds, 10 assists, four blocks and one steal in 48 minutes during Tuesday's 112-106 overtime win over the Knicks in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
This was considered an off game for Embiid, yet he still managed a triple-double to keep the 76ers alive in the playoffs. Embiid wasn't quite himself and was moving around pretty slowly, as he was battling both a migraine and some left knee soreness. The 76ers will be hopeful that Embiid will feel more like himself for Game 6 on Thursday.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Will play in Game 5
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Embiid (knee/migraine) is available for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Knicks.
Embiid has been upgraded from questionable to available Tuesday despite dealing with a left knee injury and a migraine. The superstar big man has averaged 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks in 40.3 minutes across the first four games of the series.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Misses shootaround Tuesday
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Embiid (knee) sat out of Tuesday's shootaround due to a migraine, Ky Carlin of USA Today reports.
There's been no change to his status for Tuesday's Game 5 versus the Knicks, so Embiid remains questionable to play due to his left knee soreness. Despite the questionable tag, it would be a major surprise if Embiid was held out with Philadelphia's season on the line.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Listed questionable for Tuesday
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Embiid is questionable for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Knicks due to left knee injury recovery.
Embiid has averaged 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks in 40.3 minutes over the first four games of the opening-round series. However, the reigning MVP, who missed two months during the regular season after undergoing meniscus surgery, continues to be listed as questionable and has struggled in every fourth quarter thus far. With the 76ers facing elimination in New York on Tuesday, it'd be shocking if Embiid didn't suit up.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: All-around showing in Game 4 loss
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Embiid provided 27 points (7-19 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 12-14 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and three steals across 44 minutes during Sunday's 97-92 loss to New York in Game 4 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Embiid led all Philadelphia players in scoring, rebounds, blocks and steals in an all-around performance. Despite dealing with a lingering knee injury throughout the series, Embiid has played in all four games and has tallied at least 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists in three straight outings. Look for Embiid to put together another strong outing in Game 5 to help the 76ers avoid elimination in a win-or-go-home contest.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Good to go for Game 4
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Embiid (knee) is available for Sunday's Game 4 against the Knicks.
Embiid continues to be listed as questionable but hasn't yet missed a postseason game. He has averaged 37.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals-plus-blocks through the first three games of the opening-round series and is coming off a 50-point explosion during Philadelphia's Game 3 win Thursday.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Questionable for Game 4
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Embiid (knee) is questionable for Sunday's Game 4 versus the Knicks.
Embiid has been listed as questionable for every game in this series so far, but he continues to push through his knee issue and the mild case of Bell's palsy that has affected his eye. During Thursday's Game 3 win, Embiid finished with 50 points (13-19 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 19-21 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and one block across 41 minutes.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Reveals medical condition after big game
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Embiid revealed after Thursday's 125-114 win over the Knicks in Game 3 of the first-round playoff series that he's being treated for a mild case of Bell's palsy, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. He finished the Game 3 win with 50 points (13-19 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 19-21 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and one block across 41 minutes.
Since making his return to action April 2 following his recovery from left knee surgery, Embiid has routinely been posting big scoring numbers, but he wasn't as efficient as usual, as he converted 44.8 percent of his field-goal attempts in his first games back from the injury. However, Embiid looked as dominant as ever Thursday as the 76ers staved off a 3-0 series deficit, becoming the first player in NBA playoff history to score 50 points on fewer than 20 field-goal attempts. Embiid's postgame revelation of his Bell's palsy diagnosis may be the bigger headline, with the center noting that he first noticed symptoms of the condition following the 76ers' Play-In Tournament victory over the Heat last week. Bell's palsy is a condition in which a person experiences facial weakness or paralysis due to injury to the seventh facial nerve. Based on Embiid's performance Thursday, his play nor his availability are expected to be affected by the issue.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Good to go Thursday
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Embiid (knee) will start Thursday's Game 3 against the Knicks, Kyle Neubeck of AllPHLY.com reports.
Embiid carried a questionable tag prior to this update, but he seemed more than fine in the opening pair of games in this series. He made it through his usual warmup, and there's no word of any restrictions ahead of tipoff, so he seems like a safe bet to handle his regular workload after logging 35-plus minutes in the first two contests of the series.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Considered questionable for Game 3
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Embiid is questionable for Thursday's Game 3 against the Knicks due to left knee injury recovery.
Embiid played 37 and 39 minutes, respectively, during the first two games of the series and totaled 63 points, 18 rebounds, 12 assists, two steals and a block during those contests. Despite the prolific stats, he hasn't looked 100 percent at times, but it'd be surprising if the reigning MVP didn't try to gut it out with his team facing a two-game deficit.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Records double-double in 39 minutes
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Embiid totaled 34 points (12-29 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 8-12 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists and one block over 39 minutes during Monday's 104-101 loss to the Knicks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Despite laboring up and down the court at times, Embiid showed no ill effects of his lingering knee injury and logged a full workload in the loss, but his prolific line wasn't enough to turn the tide. Embiid and Tyrese Maxey got no help from their teammates as the rest of the roster ended with fewer points than Embiid alone.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Officially active Monday
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Embiid (left knee injury recovery) has been cleared to play in Monday's Game 2 against the Knicks, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.
Embiid and Tyrese Maxey (illness) will suit up Monday, although coach Nick Nurse noted that Maxey will operate at less than 100 percent while still dealing with symptoms. Embiid logged 37 minutes of action despite briefly exiting Saturday's contest before halftime, so he'll likely be leaned on even if gimpy.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Officially a game-time decision
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Embiid (left knee injury management) is a game-time decision for Monday's Game 2 versus the Knicks, Derek Bodner of AllPHLY.com reports.
Embiid and Tyrese Maxey (illness) will both be game-time calls Monday. Coach Nick Nurse remarked that "availability will be determined after they each go through their pregame workout routine" in advance of a 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Tagged as questionable
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Embiid is questionable for Monday's Game 2 against the Knicks due to left knee injury recovery.
Embiid carrying the designation of "injury recovery," as opposed to a specific aggravation, is a good sign, and returning to the second half of Saturday's contest likely puts him on track for Game 2. That being said, Philadelphia has been unreliable in reporting injuries of late, so Embiid's status will need to be monitored. He declined to speak with media after Saturday's contest, but the big man has returned to action after suffering in-game tweaks twice in the time since his initial return from surgery, so gutting out lingering pain has been the precedent.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Scores 29, overcomes tweaked knee
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Embiid notched 29 points (8-22 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 11-12 FT), eight rebounds, six assists and two steals in 37 minutes during Saturday's 111-104 loss to the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Embiid exited late in the second quarter of Saturday's contest after lobbing a dunk off the backboard to himself and landing solely on his left leg. He returned after halftime, with Philadelphia battling to take leads late in the third and early in the fourth quarter. Embiid also tweaked his knee April 12 in his fifth game back following meniscus surgery, but he returned to that contest as well. On Saturday, Embiid touched on the still-growing trust in fully utilizing his athleticism, acknowledging that feeling tweaks and dealing with pain will be a natural occurrence down the stretch, but that his knee is structurally sound. Mitchell Robinson is a formidable matchup against a less-explosive Embiid, but Embiid's scoring gravity and defensive anchoring were huge for Philadelphia on Saturday. He finished with a plus-14 net rating during his time on the court, representing a notable margin of victory across 37 minutes
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Heads to locker room Saturday
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Embiid headed to the locker room during the second quarter of Saturday's game against the Knicks with an apparent knee injury, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reports.
Embiid made a spectacular play after throwing an alley-oop to himself, but he grabbed his left knee after landing and was helped off the court before going to the locker room. If Embiid can't return, that would mean a significant turn of events for a Sixers team that struggled massively without the star big man. Paul Reed should see more minutes if Embiid is unable to return to the game.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Will go through pre-game routine
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Coach Nick Nurse said Embiid (knee) will go through his usual pre-game workouts to determine his availability for Saturday's series opener against the Knicks, Ky Carlin of USA Today reports.
Embiid is officially listed as questionable due to injury maintenance on his surgically repaired left knee. However, barring a setback during his pre-game routine, he's expected to be available and handle his regular workload. Embiid has averaged 29.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks across 31.8 minutes per game in the six games since returning to the hardwood.
