Sixers-Hawks Game 4 takeaways: Joel Embiid is all that matters

The Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks head back to the Wells Fargo Center tied 2-2, with Game 5 airing Wednesday, June 15 at 7:30 PM E.T. For the Sixers, it will mark a pivotal moment in the series. Win, and the Sixers are in the driver’s seat with a potential Game 7 at home. Lose, and the Sixers face elimination on the road in Game 6.

Joel Embiid had a particularly rough go of things in Game 4. He scored 17 points on 20 shots, and went 0-for-12 in the second half — including a missed layup in the game’s final seconds, which sealed Atlanta’s victory. For the first time all series, the knee flared up in a tangible way. Embiid said after the game he does not expect to reach 100 percent until the playoffs conclude.

Here’s what we learned from a troubling loss.

Sixers-Hawks Game 4 takeaways: Joel Embiid’s health is the only real storyline

Joel Embiid will probably never shoot 0-for-12 in a half again. He will not play this poorly again, even if the knee gives him trouble. The Sixers saw flashes of the old Embiid — the Embiid who lacked confidence in his teammates and was easily flustered when shots were falling and whistles weren’t howling. This was the worst Embiid game of the season, and the Hawks cannot expect that level of performance from the MVP finalist to continue.

That said, there is reason for concern. Embiid went to the locker room at one point because of his knee, and it was clear the torn meniscus cut into his performance Monday night. He couldn’t get any lift in the second half — thus the missed game-winning layup — and was visibly gassed. Even if Embiid doesn’t reach the same low in future games, the idea that his knee is getting worse does not inspire confidence.

The Sixers are still the better team in this series. It took a remarkably poor Embiid game (and, admittedly, some missed early looks from Atlanta) to make this a one-possession Sixers loss. If Philadelphia can get the Embiid of old — the Embiid who dropped 39, 40, and 27 in the series’ first three games — then the Sixers are plenty capable of closing this out.

If, however, Embiid continues to struggle on his knee, and the MVP finalist no longer looks like an MVP finalist, then Atlanta may very well saunter into the conference finals. The Hawks tied Philadelphia for the best record in the NBA after the All-Star break, and there was no hotter team entering the NBA playoffs. Atlanta’s the real deal.