BOSTON -- The Philadelphia 76ers were dealt a pretty significant blow to begin their Eastern Conference semifinal round with the Boston Celtics.
Just ahead of tipoff from TD Garden, it was announced that 76ers star Joel Embiid would not take the floor for Game 1, sidelined for the second straight game dating back to Game 4 against the Brooklyn Nets in Round 1. This doesn't create a completely unfamiliar position for the 76ers, who played 16 games in the regular season without Embiid's assistance. Nevertheless, it does pose a challenge.
"This happens, seems like more and more in the playoffs," 76ers head coach Doc Rivers said prior to the contest. "You just gotta fill a void. It's not gonna be one guy or anything like that. We do have experience this year. We've done much better this year than in years past so we're gonna lean on (those healthy)."
Embiid is recovering from a knee injury suffered in Game 3 against the Nets. And in the days before Philadelphia was even aware of its second-round opponent, Rivers voiced a lack of confidence in Embiid's ability to recover before the start of the series with the Celtics. He also noted that with an opened-up floor, it'll be on Philadelphia to pick up the load through a lot of drive-and-kick plays for outside shooting production in order to fill the void.
This takes a load off Boston's shoulders that requires no explanation. Embiid was an unstoppable force in the regular season, averaging 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds en route to MVP consideration.
"Joel's done everything that we've asked him to do, since I've been here over the last few years," Rivers explained. "Every year, this time of year, something happens. And all of them are freak accidents. There's literally nothing we can do about it. And especially with Joel. He plays in traffic a lot. He plays on the floor a lot and team's are very physical with him."
Embiid, while not active for the start of the series, did join the 76ers during Monday morning's shootaround. The 29-year-old was noticeably sluggish while taking mid-range jump shots. But Rivers assured that the only thing stopping Embiid from making a return is the thumbs up from Philadelphia's medical staff.
"I don't have to see anything," Rivers said. "They tell me he can play, he's playing."
