Joel Embiid finished his regular season run after appearing in the least number of games as compared to his previous seasons. A major reason was the meniscus injury the player sustained in January, which put him on the sidelines for two months. Despite Embiid being present during the last few regular season games and even during the first playoff clash against the New York Knicks, his availability remains under a cloud of doubt.

A few hours ago, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse engaged in a Q&A session with certain individuals. When asked if the recent Knicks game would be the last time that fans would witness Joel Embiid this season, the coach assured people stating that his player is “a warrior and he’s battling”. Highlighting the 30-year-old’s enthusiasm to play, Nurse emphasized further decisions would only be made after tonight. Embiid’s return after a 29-game hiatus made fans confident that the injury may be a thing of the past. However, during the final minutes of the first half of the Knicks clash, the same injury seems to have made a return after he proceeded to make one of his first dunks after a long time.

The cheers of the fans turned into silence and a couple of groans after he went limping toward the locker room. Not wanting to stay out for long, the 76ers center later returned during the beginning of the third quarter and stayed to lead his team to a possible win. Unfortunately, it did not happen.

With the game having concluded a few minutes ago, Joel Embiid is yet to make a statement on what scale has his left meniscus injury returned and whether it will continue to be an issue during the five remaining faceoffs against Jalen Brunson and Co.

How did Joel Embiid perform against the Knicks in Game 1?

Before his exit during the first half, and in the aftermath of his return during the 3 quarter, Joel Embiid played a total of 39 minutes during the Knicks clash. While Tyrese Maxey took the offensive lead, the center himself proceeded to drop 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. The 76ers were 46-58 before the player’s exit and Embiid had already contributed 18 of his points by then. Despite his best efforts to close the gap during the final minutes, the Knicks successfully posted a 32-22 lead during the same quarter. In the end, Madison Square Garden witnessed its home team hoist the win by a score of 111-104.

Embiid did not have much success with his shot attempts. While 11 of his 12 free throws met their mark, the player was 8-22 for his field goals and 2-8 in three-pointers. This now marks the 8 consecutive playoff game in which the player has shot below 50%. Furthermore, his three-pointer percentage was also at its lowest after a five-game gap.

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Given that the 76ers held an 11-18 W/L record during Embiid’s absence, the player’s availability has been proven to be a key factor in the team’s success. Until further updates, all we can do is speculate whether he will continue his playoff journey or not.