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Joel Embiid Deals With Injury Scare in Sixers’ Game 1 vs. Knicks

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid left Game 1 against the Knicks early.
Justin Grasso|
Apr 9, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts
Apr 9, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts | Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

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Philadelphia 76ersNew York Knicks

Heading into their Game 1 matchup against the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers listed their star center Joel Embiid as questionable due to knee injury recovery.

Fortunately for the Sixers, Embiid was cleared for action and set to play in the critical road matchup on Saturday night.

Everything was going well for Embiid to start. In the first quarter of action, the big man shot 5-9 from the field and drained all four of his free throws. Embiid finished the first quarter with 15 points after checking in for the entire 12 minutes.

A hot start was just what the Sixers needed to get off to an early lead. In the second quarter, though, the Sixers found themselves in a tough spot.

With just a few minutes left to go in the first half, Embiid threw down a vicious dunk off a self-assisted pass off the backboard. On his way down, the big man landed awkwardly, grabbed at his knee, and went down on the floor. He was sent back to the locker room after seeing the court for four minutes in the second quarter.

Since returning from his eight-week recovery due to a meniscus injury, Embiid played in five of the Sixers’ final seven games. In the matchups he was held out, it his absence was due to precautionary reasons.

During the Sixers’ April 12 matchup against the Orlando Magic, Embiid left early in the first half due to a similar incident. While it seemed he tweaked his knee, the big man returned for the start of the second half to conclude a 32-point showing at home.

Since that game, Embiid played in the Sixers’ Play-In matchup against the Miami Heat earlier this week. While he looked fresh throughout the first half of Game 1 in New York, Embiid certainly dealt with an injury scare after an awkward landing.

Fortunately for Philadelphia, Embiid returned to Saturday's game after the scare.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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