76ers Injury Report: Is Joel Embiid Playing Tonight in Game 1 vs Knicks?

It wasn’t that long ago when the Philadelphia 76ers were getting overshadowed by all of the other teams in the Eastern Conference. However, by going on a streak that allowed them to win 10 of their last 12 matchups, the franchise secured the 7 seed, and a spot in the playoffs. Now to go further, they will first have to compete in a six-game series against the New York Knicks. With scorers like Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle dominating the other side, the 76ers will be looking to utilize their own star, Joel Embiid, who recently returned to the main lineup after a two-month hiatus. However, given that the player is still not out of the woods, his availability remains a matter of concern.

A few hours ago, ClutchPoints reporter Sam DiGiovanni took to his official X account to highlight details from the 76ers’ recently released Injury Report. According to it, Joel Embiid continues to remain in the ‘Questionable’ category. He had been given the same status during the 76ers’ previous clash against the Miami Heat, in which the player managed to appear and contribute 23 points to the overall score. Robert Covington, who hasn’t played a game since late December, continues to be in the ‘Out’ category along with De’Anthony Melton, who has missed two consecutive games till now.

In his 8-year NBA career, Joel Embiid has played the least number of games this season: 39. A primary reason for this was the left meniscus injury that he developed during a clash against the Golden State Warriors back in January. After undergoing surgery, the player was placed on the sidelines for an indefinite amount of time. This was unfortunate for the 76ers, who later went on to establish an 11-18 W/L record in Embiid’s absence. Once he returned to the main lineup on the 2 of April, however, the 76ers won all 6 of their games. With the injury still not completely healed, the 30-year-old continues making appearances while bearing in mind not to place too much stress on the same.

“Hopefully, every day gets better,” said Embiid after his win against the Miami Heat. “We’ll just keep monitoring it.”

The New York Knicks are yet to release their Injury Report. However, one player who certainly won’t be making it to the main lineup is Julius Randle, who has been absent since January after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder.

Joel Embiid against the Knicks

Due to his recent injury, Joel Embiid got the chance to go up against the New York Knicks only once this season. Taking place back in early January at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, the host team ended up suffering a disappointing loss through a score of 128-92. However, the blame falls far away from Embiid considering he finished the game with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists. He shot 10-23 field goals, while his successful 9-12 free throw attempts propelled the player’s scoring even higher. Embiid’s performance was just an indication of how the player has been performing against the Knicks throughout his time in the NBA.

Out of the 433 games that the Center has played for the Philadelphia 76ers, 19 of them have been against the New York Knicks. Embiid’s hold over offensive versatility has helped him establish an average score of 25.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in all of those games. In attaining the numbers, the player has only ever scored below 20 thrice and over 30 five times. Thanks to the same, the 76ers currently hold a 16-3 win record against their rivals.

Joel Embiid is a vital factor in the success of his franchise. More so when dealing with the Knicks. With the stakes being the highest for the 76ers during the playoff series, Joel Embiid’s availability could literally mean the difference in making or breaking their hopes of securing a championship title.