NEWSLETTER
As the Eastern Conference semifinals get underway, two major storylines loom.
The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics will begin their battle on Monday night. And Philly might have to try to steal one in the East champ’s building without MVP-favorite Joel Embiid. The big man hurt his knee in Game 3 of the first round. Despite his squad going on to finish the sweep of Brooklyn – earning Embiid and his teammates some much-needed extra rest – he’s reportedly “unlikely” to play in Game 1.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski shared the news with Malika Andrews a handful of hours before game-time. Fortunately, he did go on to say that Embiid has returned to doing on-court work and there is optimism he could rejoin the team on Wednesday for Game 2. As far as tonight goes, however, he appears set to sit another playoff game out.
Meanwhile, in the Knicks vs. Heat series, all eyes are on Jimmy Butler.
During the Heat’s Game 1 victory on Sunday afternoon, Butler turned his ankle while driving to the rim on the Knicks’ Josh Hart. He was able to stay in the game after rolling around in some pain. Erik Spoelstra said on Monday that the team likely isn’t going to know Butler’s status until before Game 2 in New York on Tuesday.
If one thing is for sure, the absence of either player in any game could have a significant impact on the outcome of that series. Both Embiid and Butler have been the primary reason their respective team made it this far, so let’s hope both can return to the floor ASAP.
