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Joel Embiid injury update means 76ers will be lucky to win 1 game vs. Knicks
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- Joel Embiid injury update means 76ers will be lucky to win 1 game vs. Knicks
Joel Embiid injury update means 76ers will be lucky to win 1 game vs. Knicks appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Philadelphia 76ers are scheduled to take on the New York Knicks on Wednesday in Game 2 of the second-round playoff series. Unfortunately, the Sixers will be without Joel Embiid after he was ruled out due to ankle and hip injuries. With the club’s star center out for the second contest of the series, Philly might be lucky even to win one game in this playoff matchup.
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To be fair, the 76ers managed to upset the Boston Celtics in the first round despite Embiid missing the first three games of the series. Philadelphia lost two of those first three matchups before the 32-year-old center returned to the court, where he helped the team win three of the next four contests to advance to the next round.
The 76ers really only played above expectations when Joel Embiid was on the court. In his four games played against Boston, Embiid averaged 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per contest while shooting 44.3% from the floor and 83.8% from the free-throw line. The 76ers’ offense ran through Embiid, as the 10-year veteran was a total mismatch for the Celtics throughout the series.
The outcome of the series against Boston proves Philly needs Embiid on the court just to have a chance to compete in this year’s playoffs, because every game the former MVP misses, the more likely Philadelphia is to lose that matchup. That might be even truer now, considering the Knicks have one of the best front courts in the Eastern Conference. Karl-Anthony Towns has been playing well in this year’s playoffs so far, and when he’s not on the court, New York relies on Mitchell Robinson to help in the post.
Those are two solid centers for the Knicks to rely on , and the 76ers just don’t have anybody outside of Joel Embiid to truly compete with them. Towns averaged 20.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game with a 56.9% field goal percentage and hitting 44.4% of his three-point attempts in the first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks . Meanwhile, Robinson helped defensively, averaging 5.3 boards and 1.0 blocks per contest.
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After suffering a 137-98 Game 1 loss already to the Knicks, the 76ers cannot afford to play without Embiid for three straight games. He’ll have a chance to bounce back for future matchups in the series, but if he’s too banged up, New York is more than likely going to take advantage of Philadelphia’s front court.
Game 2 is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. EST on Wednesday. It will be the second game in New York before the series moves on to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4.
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