Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers escaped disaster Saturday, but not defeat.
The New York Knicks took Game 1 of their first-round series with an 111-104 win over the Sixers, with Jalen Brunson leading the way with 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Josh Hart and OG Anunoby, however, supplied the daggers:
It was a game in which Philadelphia might have breathed a sigh of relief, though, as Embiid ran into an injury scare in the second quarter. The issue came on an incredible, off-the-backboard dunk, but Embiid immediately went down upon landing and grabbed his knee.
Embiid remained on the floor, looking wide-eyed at the ceiling as trainers evaluated his leg. He was eventually helped off the court and to the locker room.
Fortunately, Embiid was back on the floor at the start of the third quarter, though with some work to do with his team down 58-46. He proceeded to post 29 points on 8-of-22 shooting with eight rebounds and six assists. He earned Madison Square Garden’s ire late in the game with a hard collision with Brunson:
A left knee injury in particular is concerning for Embiid, who missed more than two months of the regular season after undergoing surgery on the same knee. He made his return on April 2, though he missed the Sixers’ regular season finale on Sunday.
Source Agencies
