Update: Joel Embiid has been cleared to play in Game 2.
After winning the 2023 NBA MVP award, Joel Embiid reportedly informed his Philadelphia 76ers teammates that they will have him back in the lineup for Game 2 of their semifinal matchup with the Boston Celtics.
Despite not playing last night, Joel Embiid was one of the biggest stories in the NBA yesterday. After nine seasons in the NBA, his place as one of the elite talents in the sport was confirmed when he won the Most Valuable Player award for the 2022-2023 season. It was an award he nearly won last year, and could not be denied this time around.
Related: NBA games today – Watch times and odds for tonight’s playoff matchups
However, his status coming into Game 2 of the team’s series against the Boston Celtics was unclear. The six-time All-Star sprained his knee in Game 3 of their series against the Brooklyn Nets and missed the following matchup of that best-of-seven, and the opener for their series against Boston.
Well, there was a major update on Wednesday and it was good news for Philadelphia 76ers fans.
Joel Embiid stats (’22-’23): 33.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 33% 3PT
This morning, The Athletic’s NBA insider Shams Charania reported that after winning the MVP award on Tuesday, Joel Embiid allegedly told his teammates “I’m back,” in regards to his availability for tonight’s matchup. Charania also confirmed with sources close to the situation that he “is indeed on track” to play this evening in Boston barring an unexpected setback.
It is an interesting decision for the Philadelphia 76ers since the team was able to pull off a surprise win in Game 1 led by an outstanding performance from James Harden. It could be argued that the team should let their superstar sit for Game 2 and get three more days of rest before their next clash on Friday in Philly.
However, the big man has spoken and Joel Embiid will be back in the lineup at 8 PM ET on TNT tonight.