On Wednesday night, the second game of the seven-game series between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics will be played in Boston.
The Sixers won game one of the series despite being without MVP favorite Joel Embiid. Boston will try to knot things up with a win in Game 2. At 8:00 o’clock tonight (EST), we’ll be turning on the taps.
Injury Update for Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics
Due to the absence of injured center Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers entered game one of this series with low expectations.
Those expectations were raised, however, as the Sixers won 119-115 on their home court.
James Harden tied a playoff career high with 45 points, including a three-point field goal with less than ten seconds remaining to give Philadelphia the lead.
Tyrese Maxey added 26 points for the 76ers, and Tobias Harris contributed 18 in a game in which the Sixers hit 17 three-pointers.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Joel Embiid was selected the NBA’s 2022-23 Most Valuable Player on Tuesday.
Embiid won the MVP award after finishing second the previous two seasons. This season, the superstar center averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.0 steals in 34.6 minutes per game for the 76ers, who finished 54-28.
Embiid (knee) is still considered iffy for Wednesday’s Game 2 in Boston, but the MVP candidate might be upgraded if he responds well to Tuesday’s workout, according to Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Due to a knee sprain, Embiid missed the series-clinching Game 4 triumph against Brooklyn and remained out of Monday’s Game 1 victory in Boston, but he’s doing everything he can to get back on the field and aid his team.
He performed some light shooting before Monday’s game and will do a skeleton workout on Tuesday, and how he reacts to both activities will determine his availability moving forward.
As the second game approaches, keep a watch on Embiid’s status. With a win in game one and Embiid playing on a grade two knee sprain, the Sixers may want to rest him one more game.
The Boston Celtics surrendered homecourt advantage in game one of the series, falling to the Sixers 119-115. It was Boston’s second straight home playoff loss, and the second straight home loss in which the team couldn’t hold on to a late lead.
Boston was led by Jayson Tatum, who scored 39 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Tatum topped all Celtics players in scoring and rebounds, finishing with a double-double, and was the most all-around performer in Game 1 on Monday.
Tatum, who scored 26 points in the first half alone, has at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in each of the four postseason games he has played in.
Injury Report Celtics:
- Marcus Smart (Chest) – Questionable
- Danilo Gallinari (Knee) – Out
Injury Report 76ers:
- Joel Embiid (Knee) – Questionable
