It took less than one half for an apparent injury to All-Star center Joel Embiid to sour the 76ers' playoff opener.
Late in the first half of Game 1 of Philadelphia's series with New York, Embiid landed awkwardly after a dunk before grabbing at his troublesome left knee. Embiid appeared to be in pain as he was helped to the Sixers' locker room.
Embiid missed 29 regular season games after undergoing surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee. He had registered 18 points, five rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes of action before Saturday's injury.
What is Embiid's injury and how serious is it? Here are the latest updates below.
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Joel Embiid injury update
Embiid tossed a one-handed lob to himself off the backboard in the first half of Game 1 against the Knicks. After catching the lob and dunking over the Knicks defense, Embiid reached for his knee before collapsing in apparent pain.
Here is the play where Embiid appeared to injure his knee:
Really hope Embiid is okay 🙏
— Overtime (@overtime) April 20, 2024
(via @NBA)
pic.twitter.com/rCLNUmtiy7
Embiid was helped off the floor and immediately taken to the locker room during a timeout. Embiid's status for the remainder of the game and series will depend on the diagnosis of the injury and its severity.
While the injury looked scary, Embiid was on the floor for the Sixers to begin the second half. He similarly tweaked his knee during a late regular season game against the Magic before returning in the second half.
Embiid finished with 29 points, eight rebounds and six assists in 37 minutes of action but Philadelphia suffered a seven-point loss. After the game, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said "I don't think so" when asked about potentially shutting Embiid down due to his knee troubles.
The Sporting News will continue to provide updates on Embiid's status as they become available.
76ers vs. Knicks series schedule
| Date | Game/Result | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
| April 20 | Knicks 111, 76ers 104 | ||
| April 22 | Game 2 at Knicks | 7:30 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
| April 25 | Game 3 at 76ers | 7:30 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
| April 28 | Game 4 at 76ers | 1 p.m. | ABC, Sling |
| April 30 | Game 5 at Knicks* | TBD | TBD |
| May 2 | Game 6 at 76ers* | TBD | TBD |
| May 4 | Game 7 at Knicks* | TBD | TNT, Sling |
