The Philadelphia 76ers will be resuming their first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks at home after a two-day break. Philly will now be getting the home-court advantage as the series moves to Wells Fargo Center for Games 3 and 4. As the Sixers look to recover from the 0-2 hole they are in right now, it seems like Joel Embiid‘s availability status still remains a matter of concern for the franchise.
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Embiid hasn’t been the same efficient scorer as he was before his left knee injury during the regular season. However, he shot a combined 39% overall (including 4-of-17 from beyond the arc) in the first two games at Madison Square Garden, which has positively impacted the Sixers’ performance in this series. The latest injury report submitted by the Sixers still shows Joel Embiid’s status as ‘questionable’ for Game 3.
Amidst concerns regarding Embiid’s availability, fans have noticed a weird anomaly with the big man’s eyes as well. In a footage from the game broadcast, the 2023 NBA MVP’s eyes can be seen twitching abnormally, with Embiid seemingly facing difficulties in blinking his left eye. Ahead of Game 2, Embiid was also noted avoiding any media interaction.
Fans are speculating that the Sixers center might be on a ton of painkillers to beat the pain on his knee. However, there has been no solid evidence to back that. Meanwhile, coach Nick Nurse has said that he has no update on his star center’s eye injury. However, the Sixers head coach did assure the fans that Joel Embiid was ‘feeling okay’. Since this eye injury hasn’t been cited on the injury report, it indicates this might not be a significant problem going ahead.
Can the Sixers hope for a Game 3 resurgence against the Knicks?
It is worth noting that no Sixers team has ever come back to win a playoff series after trailing two games. Philly remains 0-20 in the postseason in their attempts to pull off an 0-2 series comeback. History definitely isn’t siding with Joel Embiid and Co. as the Sixers once again find themselves trailing 0-2, this time against the New York Knicks.
However, Philly fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the team is being coached by former Toronto Raptors head coach, Nick Nurse. Nurse’s Raptors were able to return from a 0-2 deficit in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks enroute to an NBA title.
This is one of the reasons why the Sixers could feel optimistic heading into Game 3. However, the current situation demands a do-or-die reaction from Philly to clinch a victory. Joel Embiid’s health remains the most crucial factor as the series nears a conclusion.
