NBA: 76ers’ Joel Embiid has small tear in knee—report

Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates from the bench after the Philadelphia 76ers defeat the Boston Celtics 119-115 in game one of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at TD Garden on May 01, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid did not play in Monday night’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals due to what was widely reported to be a Grade 1 LCL knee sprain.

However, Fox Sports reported Monday afternoon that Embiid actually has a small tear in the right knee that will require a procedure at some point. It comes two days after The Athletic reported the injury is more serious than a Grade 1 sprain.

Minus Embiid, the 76ers still managed to beat the Celtics, 119-115, in  Game 1 behind James Harden’s 45 points. ESPN reported Monday that there is optimism Embiid can play in Game 2 on Wednesday.

The Athletic also reported Monday that Embiid underwent a platelet-rich plasma treatment on the knee last week.

Embiid hasn’t practiced since injuring the knee in Game 3 of the previous series against Brooklyn. He did, however, participate in post-practice shooting drills on Sunday. He was also on the floor during Monday morning’s shootaround.

Embiid dealt with knee soreness in Game 3 of Philadelphia’s first-round series versus the sixth-seeded Nets. He then sat out Game 4, although the third-seeded 76ers were able to complete the sweep of the best-of-seven set with a 96-88 victory on April 22.

Embiid averaged 20.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in three games against the Nets. He led the NBA in scoring during the regular season at 33.1 points per game and is a finalist for MVP honors.

Embiid, 29, played in 66 games during the regular season, two shy of his career high set during the 2021-22 season.

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