Embiid game-time doubt
- The 76ers announced an injury update, leaving Joel Embiid’s status uncertain for Game 2 against Boston. - Reports flagged whether Embiid will suit up for Tuesday’s matchup as a key series subplot. - Philadelphia’s health uncertainty is now a central storyline for the Celtics‑76ers series ahead of Game 2 ( ).
Joel Embiid will not play in Game 2 on Tuesday night in Boston, even after the Philadelphia 76ers said he has started a post-appendectomy strength and conditioning program. (nba.com) The 76ers listed Embiid as out on their official Game 2 injury report and said the update came as he continues recovering from appendectomy surgery. Game 2 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern at TD Garden. (nba.com) NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Noah Levick first relayed the team’s update Monday, and NESN reported that Philadelphia still has not put a return date on Embiid’s timeline. Boston.com also reported Monday evening that Embiid had entered the conditioning phase of recovery but remained unavailable for Game 2. (nesn.com) (boston.com) That leaves Philadelphia trying to avoid a 2-0 series deficit without the former Most Valuable Player who anchors its offense and interior defense. Heavy reported Tuesday morning that the Sixers’ question is no longer Game 2 alone, but whether Embiid can get back at any point in the series. (heavy.com) Boston’s Game 1 win showed the size of that problem. The Celtics beat the 76ers 123-91 on Sunday, their largest margin of victory in a playoff opener, after jumping ahead 33-18 in the first quarter and leading by as many as 35. (nba.com) (espn.com) The numbers from Game 1 were lopsided across the board. Philadelphia shot 35-for-90 overall and 4-for-23 from 3-point range, while Boston shot 45-for-90 and made 16 threes; Tyrese Maxey scored 21 points for the Sixers, and Jaylen Brown scored 26 for Boston. (nba.com) (espn.com) Embiid has been out since April 9, when he underwent surgery in Houston, according to Boston.com. He also missed the final three regular-season games and Philadelphia’s play-in game against Orlando, according to NESN’s earlier series preview. (boston.com) (nesn.com) The series shifts to Philadelphia after Tuesday, with Games 3 and 4 scheduled for Friday and Sunday at Xfinity Mobile Arena. For now, the 76ers’ update changed Embiid’s rehab stage, but not their lineup for Game 2. (nba.com)
