Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid exited Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs series against the New York Knicks with a knee injury, seemingly aggravating the issue that sidelined him for a significant portion of the season.
With under 3 minutes to go in the second quarter and the Knicks leading 49-44, Embiid was fed the ball in the post and drove toward the basket against center Mitchell Robinson. That’s when the All-Star center, who hadn’t dunked since his latest return from a knee injury, attempted the alley-oop dunk to himself off the backboard at Madison Square Garden.
- Joel Embiid stats this season: 24.7 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.7 BPG, 52.9 FG%
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Embiid converted the alley-oop, slamming down his first dunk since his return from injury. However, the reigning NBA MVP then immediately went down and grabbed at his knee after landing back on the ground.
As the Knicks and 76ers continued action on the other side of the court, Embiid remained down on the ground grabbing at his left knee. A timeout was called moments later, with the 76ers medical staff checking out the All-NBA center.
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- Joel Embiid contract: $51.415 million salary in 2024, $55.224 million salary in 2025, $59.033 million player option for 2026-’27 season
After being checked out by trainers, Embiid was immediately taken to the locker room with the team’s medical staff around him. No updates were provided before his departure at halftime, with the Knicks leading 58-46.
Philadelphia had jumped out to a roaring starting, leading New York 18-7 in the first quarter. However, after outscoring the Knicks 34-25 in the first quarter, New York responded with a 33-12 advantage in the second quarter to take the 12-point lead into halftime.
UPDATE – 8:00 PM ET: Joel Embiid returned to the court for the second half, helping fuel a 20-11 76ers’ run in the third quarter.
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