The New York Knicks lead the Philadelphia 76ers 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and Game 3 is tonight at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Joel Embiid is listed as questionable, and the conversation around him is getting loud.
ESPN’s Jay Williams went on record with a take that Philadelphia fans probably did not want to hear heading into a must-win game.
“I do not think that style involves heavy doses of Joel Embiid. He is a liability on the floor defensively. Him coming back from injuries, you saw the way they attacked him with ball rotation and driving him and attacking him.”
Williams pointed to what he saw in Game 2, where the Sixers actually played better without Embiid in the lineup. Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona gave Philadelphia a faster, more switchable frontcourt that caused the Knicks real problems before a cold fourth quarter sealed a 108-102 Knicks win. And that is exactly what makes Embiid’s status for tonight so complicated.
Why Joel Embiid’s Health Is a Problem for the 76ers
Joel Embiid
Embiid has been carrying a right ankle sprain and right hip soreness into this series. He was ruled out of Game 2 the morning of the game after waking up with what coach Nick Nurse described as “a bunch of soreness.” He is now questionable for Game 3 after coming in probable and getting downgraded last time.
This is not a new story for Embiid. He appeared in fewer than 40 regular-season games for the third straight year, dealing with an oblique strain, knee soreness, and an emergency appendectomy all in the same season. The body of work, health-wise, has been a concern all year.
When he does play, the Knicks have a clear game plan. They push pace, attack him in space, and run ball movement at him to force lateral movement. For a big man managing multiple lower-body injuries, that is a very tough assignment.
What the 76ers Actually Look Like Without Him
VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey
Williams was specific about what he wants Philadelphia to look like going forward.
“When you watch the way they played the other day, fast and speed with Barlow and with Bona, interchangeable parts. Paul George is fighting against Karl-Anthony Towns. Those are the matchups I think best suit the 76ers to have a chance to beat the New York Knicks.”
The numbers back that up. In Game 2, the Sixers went small with Barlow at center late in the game and played more aggressive defensively, forcing multiple turnovers from the Knicks in the fourth quarter. The problem was that Maxey, George, and VJ Edgecombe could not knock down their shots when it mattered most.
The Sixers are down 2-0 and heading home tonight. Whether Embiid plays or not, Philadelphia has to find a way to close out a game they are in. Game 3 tips off tonight at 7 PM ET, and for the 76ers, it is simple: win or go down 3-0 in a hole almost no team climbs out of.
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