Joel Embiid went down with yet another injury in Game 1 of 76ers vs Knicks, Saturday night.
Late in the second quarter of the Game 1 matchup, Embiid threw the ball off the backboard on an alley-oop to himself and came down awkwardly on his left leg. Embiid immediately tumbled to the floor and looked to the sky in disbelief.
Really hope Embiid is okay 🙏
(via @NBA)— Overtime (@overtime) April 20, 2024
The 2023 MVP eventually returned to the game, but shot 2-of-11 from the floor in the second half and did not look nearly as mobile down the stretch. Of course, Embiid had recently returned from a meniscus injury that held him out for two months, which compounds the injury concerns that have plagued the star big man for his entire career.
So will the 76ers center play in Game 2 of this series?
Joel Embiid Injury News, Updates
The 76ers listed Embiid as questionable immediately after the series opener and his questionable tag remains as of this writing. Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters after Game 1 that the team had no plans to shut down Embiid, and that the center "absolutely wants to play."
Embiid, who hasn't spoken publicly since Game 1, told his head coach that his knee felt "pretty good," according to a report from Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia. While it would be stunning for Embiid to missed Monday's game at Madison Square Garden, his lengthy injury history makes him an uncertainty.
Oddsmakers appear confident that the Knicks will have the advantage at home regardless of Embiid's status for Game 2. The Knicks opened as 5-point favorites at home for Monday's matchup after closing as 4.5-point favorites in Game 1, according to Action Network's public betting data. Stay tuned for more Embiid updates as we get close to tonight's 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff for 76ers vs Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
