Joel Embiid on Knee Injury: 'Just Got to Keep Managing It and Hope for the Best'

The Philadelphia 76ers' title hopes rest on the right knee of Joel Embiid after the superstar center suffered a small lateral meniscus tear in Game 4 of the team's first-round series against the Washington Wizards. 

Embiid returned to game action for Sunday's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks, a 128-124 loss. After the contest, he provided an update on his knee. 

"It's alright," he told reporters. "I don't know, playing on a torn meniscus is I guess not easy... just got to keep managing it and hope for the best."

"The pain is gonna be there, that's normal," he added. "It's all about managing it, and doing whatever it takes to win. My goal is to win a championship. I'm gonna put my body on the line to make sure that happens."

On the offensive end, Embiid didn't miss a beat, scoring 39 points to go along with nine rebounds, four assists and three blocks. On the defensive end, it was a little more obvious he wasn't 100 percent, with the Sixers mostly limiting him to drop coverage in the pick-and-roll, which Trae Young took advantage of to the tune of 35 points.

It also looked at one point as though Embiid was hobbled and wincing in pain:

But Embiid stayed in the game, nearly helping the Sixers pull off an improbable late comeback after trailing the Hawks by as many as 26 points. 

"I checked with him probably five different times during the game, and he kept saying 'I feel great,'" Sixers head coach Doc Rivers told reporters after the game regarding Embiid's knee. 

It will be an ongoing storyline for the Sixers so long as they remain alive in the postseason and Embiid is on the court. With Embiid, even at less than 100 percent, the Sixers remain title contenders, Sunday's loss notwithstanding. 

But without the MVP finalist, the Sixers are in major trouble. 

His return may not have led to a Game 1 win, but seeing Embiid play 38 minutes and dominate on the offensive end was a good sign for the Sixers.