The Philadelphia 76ers just received the news they needed the most ahead of their Eastern Conference Semifinals showdown with the New York Knicks. After sustaining numerous hits in Game 7 against the Boston Celtics, the team has listed Joel Embiid as probable to play in Game 1 with a right hip contusion, effectively putting a governor on concerns about his availability for the semis.
Embiid played hero for the 76ers in Game 7, but it was fair to entertain the thought about him having to play sacrificial lamb to overcome a 3-1 deficit and catapult Philly into the next round. But now, it appears likely that the superstar big man will be in full swing to face another familiar foe, which is basically what the team needs at this point.
The Knicks will be heavily favored against the 76ers, but this is clearly a familiar territory for Philly anyway. And with Embiid poised to be in full force (barring any setbacks before their Game 1 matinee in the Big Apple), his team should remain in position to put New York, which is probably the favorite to come out of the East at this juncture, in a blender.
The 76ers receive a much-needed Joel Embiid update before Game 1 vs Knicks
Joel Embiid is only three weeks removed from his appendectomy procedure, which is the main reason why his status remains a precarious one. At one point in Game 7, the training staff was stretching out the entire right side of his body, and he also took a hit to his knee in a couple of friendly fires during the second half.
Given how much firepower the Knicks have between their jampacked starting unit and reinvented bench squad, the 76ers are going to be needing Embiid at his peak capacity to have a fighting chance. That is more so the case given that New York's big man rotation consists of All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns and a standout bench performer in Mitchell Robinson.
As long as Embiid ultimately gets the green light to play in Game 1, the 76ers should be in position to make the Knicks sweat right from the beginning. After all, snatching home court advantage will be huge for Philly, as New York has been pretty vulnerable when playing on the road in this campaign, having gone just 22-19 away from Madison Square Garden during the regular season.
But as can be gleaned from their first-round affair, the 76ers are going nowhere without Joel Embiid. As such, him being available to start the semifinals will be huge for Philly. Now, the quest to shock the world with another series upset commences.
Add us as a preferred source on Google