The day after 76ers superstar Joel Embiid was crowned 2023 NBA MVP, he made his highly anticipated return from injury in the NBA Playoffs.
Embiid had missed Philadelphia's last two games with a sprained right LCL — the Sixers' closeout Game 4 against the Nets and a shocking Game 1 victory over the Celtics to kick off the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Even with the 76ers stealing Game 1 on the road, Embiid felt he was healthy enough to suit up, being cleared moments before Game 2 in Boston.
His return didn't go as planned as Philadelphia was shot out of the TD Garden, falling 121-87 as the Celtics tied the series at 1-1.
How did Embiid look in his first game back from injury and what did he say about how his injury status?
How did Joel Embiid play in Game 2 vs. Celtics?
Embiid was clearly laboring in his first game since April 20, wearing a massive brace underneath his leggings. He looked slow in the first quarter and was seen wincing in pain after certain plays, but the star center eventually loosened up a bit.
Where Embiid made his biggest impact was on the defensive end, tallying five blocked shots in the first half. An emphatic swat on Celtics star Jaylen Brown's dunk attempt was undoubtedly his best highlight of the game.
REJECTED BY EMBIID 🚫
— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2023
HIS 4TH BLOCK 🗣
GAME 2, 2Q LIVE ON TNT! pic.twitter.com/DjWNMbdsRu
But aside from his rim protection, everything else looked out of rhythm for the newly-crowned MVP. He finished with just three rebounds, which was his lowest total in almost two years (May 13, 2021). He had 15 points on 4-for-9 shooting from the field, but his touch was off and he did the majority of his damage from the free throw line (7-8 FT).
When Boston broke the game open with a 3-point barrage at the end of the third quarter to take a 27-point lead into the final frame, head coach Doc Rivers elected to pull his starters.
Embiid played 27 minutes on the night, resting the entire fourth quarter. His final stat line was 15 points, three rebounds, three assists, five blocks and three turnovers with a +/- of minus-23 — the second worst on the team.
"I wasn’t as aggressive," Embiid said after the game, per John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia. "Not myself. We got this out of the way. This is a step to getting back to being myself.”
Sixers head coach Doc Rivers agreed, saying his star center looked "rusty."
"I thought he got out of rhythm a couple of times and I thought we were out of rhythm as well," Rivers said. "But we expected that. We knew there was going to have to be some kind of growing pains bringing him back. I'm glad we got it out of the way today."
Doc Rivers said he thought Joel Embiid looked "rusty" in Game 2 pic.twitter.com/RvC8oIXJjQ
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 4, 2023
How did Joel Embiid's knee feel after Game 2?
When asked about his ailing knee, Embiid acknowledged he still isn't totally healthy.
“I was supposed to be out four to six weeks," he said. "I’m not going to be 100 percent. I’m not going to be fully healed."
However, he made it clear that he'll continue to tough it out for his team.
“I think I’ll be fine. I’ve played through a lot," he said, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "We’ve got a big chance and we’ve got to take advantage of it.”
Embiid's status for Game 3 will be worth monitoring. He'll only have one day of rest before the Celtics and 76ers face off in Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday, May 5th at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
