76ers' Doc Rivers: 'No Concern' About Joel Embiid's Knee Injury After Game 4 Loss
June 15, 2021
Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers isn't ringing any alarm bells regarding the health of Joel Embiid but acknowledged the star center isn't at 100 percent.
Rivers told reporters there's "no concern" about Embiid before adding the four-time All-Star is "not going to be exactly what he was, but I will take it."
Embiid is continuing to play despite suffering a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee during Philadelphia's first-round series against the Washington Wizards.
The injury didn't seem to limit him too much in the first three games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 35.3 points and 10.3 rebounds as the Sixers took a 2-1 series lead.
Game 4 was another story, however. Embiid shot 4-of-20 from the floor en route to scoring 17 points in a 103-100 defeat. He missed all 12 of his shot attempts in the second half, the last of which was a layup in the final seconds that would've put the 76ers ahead.
The 27-year-old said after the game his knee had been bothering him.
Not all Sixers fans are likely to share Rivers' sentiment on the situation. The No. 1 seed in the East becomes much more vulnerable if it can't count on its best player to deliver at his usual level.
The schedule doesn't do Embiid and the Sixers any favors, either.
Philly and Atlanta had two days off between Games 2 and 3 and another two-day break between Games 3 and 4. The rest of the way, they'll only have one day to rest in between games, giving Embiid's injured knee less time to recover.
Perhaps the second half Monday night was a bit of an aberration and the 7-footer will look more like himself Wednesday. If not, the 76ers are in trouble.