Maxey, Sixers Hope Rest is Key for Embiid's Return in Game 1

With Joel Embiid off the floor for the Philadelphia 76ers’ Game 4 battle against the Brooklyn Nets, the Sixers had to lean on guys such as Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, and Tobias Harris to help lead the team to victory.

Without Embiid in their lineup, the Sixers managed to take care of business on Saturday. With a 96-88 victory, the Sixers punched their ticket to the second round of the playoffs. While they are certain to move on, the playing status of their All-Star center Joel Embiid is uncertain.

During the Sixers’ Game 3 win over the Brooklyn Nets last Thursday, Embiid was seen favoring his right knee throughout the game after one of his many falls. Although Embiid finished the game and mentioned that he was fine after the win, the big man went back to Philadelphia on Friday to undergo an MRI.

Last Friday afternoon, Doc Rivers assumed that Embiid wasn’t feeling great after a chippy matchup in Brooklyn but there was no indication that Embiid could miss time. A few hours later, it was revealed that Embiid was out for the Game 4 matchup against the Nets with a sprained knee — and his timetable for a return was unclear.

“Not that I don’t have confidence, I just don’t know,” Doc Rivers said after Game 4, when asked whether or not Embiid would be ready for the start of the second round series against the Boston Celtics or the Atlanta Hawks. “I would say right now, it’s probably 50 percent at best.”

The earliest the Sixers would begin the second round is on Saturday, April 29. If the Celtics defeat the Hawks in Game 5 on Tuesday, then the Sixers would battle Boston in Game 1 on Saturday. Any other scenario pushes Game 1 back to May 1.

Either way, the Sixers will get a week off from games, which offers Embiid and the rest of the guys plenty of downtime.

“Hopefully this rest is going to be big for him,” said Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, while discussing Joel Embiid. “Last year, we had to kind of go straight into playing the second round matchup in Miami, and he was hurt. I think he hurt his face, thumb and a whole bunch of stuff going on. This year, we have some time. Hopefully, he can get healthy. We’re going to be praying for him, talking for him, and this rest is going to be key for him.”

Embiid is no stranger to facing injury obstacles in the second round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, he’ll have to battle through a setback in the second round of the playoffs for the third-straight season. While the big man has proven that he’s willing to push through the pain and play, his status for the start of the second round is unclear at this time.