BOSTON–Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has officially been named the 2023 MVP after a stellar season on the court. He did everything he could out on the floor in order to give the Sixers a lot of success and put them in a position to win a title.
With that being said, the Sixers are locked in an Eastern Conference semifinal battle with the Boston Celtics and they have a 1-0 lead in the series with Embiid sidelined due to a sprained LCL in his right knee. As they head into Game 2 on Wednesday, Embiid discussed the injury and where he’s at.
“Obviously, it’s earlier than what we thought considering what I had,” Embiid said. “I’m just glad to be able to go up and down and kinda see how it feels so we’re gonna take it day-by-day and see how it feels and go from there.”
As far as his status for Game 2, Embiid is still listed as doubtful, but he has been able to get some work done so there is a chance that he can get back on the floor on Wednesday.
“It’s a possibility just like it was a possibility for the first game, but I’m gonna listen to those guys and see what they have to say, the doctors,” Embiid added. “Obviously, I want to play. Everybody knows me, I love being on the court and I love to play so if there’s a possibility and I’ve got the green light then we’re gonna go ahead, but like I said, we’re just gonna talk about it.”
Obviously, the Sixers were able to pick up a win without him on Monday in Game 1. The smart move, one could argue, would be to sit him on Wednesday again and prepare him for Game 3 on Friday back at home.
“I feel pretty good,” he added. “Just like I felt about the game. Last game, I felt like we had a huge opportunity and we were gonna win and tonight, whether I play or not, I believe in those guys. Anything can happen and I think we got a huge chance to win the game.”
Either way, this has been another hurdle that Embiid has to overcome in order to get back on the floor and help the Sixers win a title.
“It’s tough, but like I said, my life is a movie,” he added. “Everything happens for a reason. Every single year, it’s always something freaky happening and that’s OK. That’s another challenge on the way to getting to where I want to. Obviously, it’s hard dealing with another injury, but when something like that happens, you got about a day to be kinda sad or whatever and start to go back to work and rehab and make sure you do everything possible to be sure you’re back out on the court.”
[lawrence-related id=79391,79347,79344]