Disaster strikes again for the Philadelphia 76ers! After an uphill battle into the playoffs, the Sixers are going head-to-head against the 2nd-seeded New York Knicks tonight in Game 1 of the first round. While Philly fans had high hopes for their team despite their lower standing, they were devastated when reigning MVP Joel Embiid suffered a horrific injury scare in the first half of the playoff opener. So, here’s what actually happened.

With less than 3 minutes remaining in the first period and the Sixers trailing by 5 points, Embiid pulled out a special move from his versatile bag. He got past Mitchell Robinson with a nasty pump fake and threw an alley-oop off the glass to himself to flush it down with authority. Unfortunately, Embiid’s highlight play turned into a nightmare as he landed awkwardly on his left leg. He immediately fell to the floor and held his left knee in pain. Coincidentally, this is the same surgically repaired knee that kept him out for a major chunk of the regular season!

An injured Embiid lay on the floor while the Knicks got a bucket in transition at the other end. Finally, the play came to a halt, and the reigning MVP immediately headed to the locker room to assess the severity of his injury. During his time on the court, he scored 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists in 16 minutes of play. He did not return for the remainder of the first half, and the Sixers struggled in his absence. Jalen Brunson and Co. outscored the Sixers 33-12 in the second quarter and took a commanding 12-point lead to end the half.

Joel Embiid returns but not at 100%

At that point, the fans and everyone were undoubtedly losing hope. And that’s when Joel Embiid returned to the floor! This was in the second half, and the 7-footer did not look 100%, as his left knee was limiting his movement. A close-up shot of his knee immediately went viral. There were stains of blood over his knee-padding which rang several alarm bells, but Embiid continued to warrior through.

But his presence was enough and the Sixers made a comeback in the second half. Although Joel scored in single digits in the 3rd quarter, the Sixers outscored the Knicks 36-21 to cut down the first-half lead. Embiid did everything in his capacity to keep the Sixers in the game. His effort was cheered on when he made a steal followed by an elite bounce pass assist to his teammate. He also hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 69-69 but could be seen hobbling on the floor.

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Although Embiid showed a true warrior mentality by returning to the floor, it might be too big a risk for the Sixers and the reigning MVP. They ended up losing the game 111-104. His early return from injury was widely frowned upon, and the constant injury scares have raised more concerns. Possibly, Embiid is risking a long-term injury in pursuit of his first Championship.

Notably, he deemed himself unavailable for a chat with the media after the game. This leaves the NBA world and fanbase without answers! The real question is; do they have them or are we in limbo again?

While his knee will be assessed after tonight’s game, he will hopefully return for Game 2 in full capacity.