Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid did not play in Game 2 on Wednesday against the New York Knicks because of a right ankle sprain and right hip soreness. The 76ers lost 108-102 and fell behind the Knicks 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Without Embiid, the Knicks took advantage of scoring in the paint, holding a 56-30 edge. Jalen Brunson led New York with 26 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 20 points and 10 rebounds.
The 76ers need their best player in Game 3 to get back into the series and get a win at home.
Joel Embiid Is Listed as Questionable
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Ahead of Game 3 on Friday, things have started to trend positively for the 76ers. The team has listed Embiid as questionable. He's the only player on the team's injury report. His co-star Tyrese Maxey, who suffered a right finger tendon strain in Game 2, was listed as available.
Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters ahead of Game 2 that Embiid was disappointed that he was ruled out. The 2023 MVP wanted to give his team the boost it needed against the Knicks.
"He really wants to be out there," Nurse said. "Coming back from that appendectomy so quickly was not easy for him to do. He has worked extremely hard to get back, and he continues to want to play badly. I feel really bad for him because he really wants to be out there, and we want him out there."
After the loss in Game 2, veteran star Paul George told the media that Embiid wanted to play. George said that since the star big man didn't play, he's already started his preparations to be part of the action in Game 3. However, the star forward said the team would understand if Embiid would not be able to return to the lineup on Friday.
Health has been Embiid's biggest weakness. In the regular season, he was limited to 38 games because of various injuries. Last month, he underwent an emergency appendectomy. He missed six games, including the first three games of the 76ers' first-round series against the Boston Celtics.
He returned to action in Game 4 and helped Philly ultimately eliminate the Celtics in seven games. Embiid averaged 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in four games in the opening round.
