How 76ers, Nets Are Preparing for Joel Embiid-Less Game 4

Joel Embiid won't play in Game 4. How are the Nets and the 76ers preparing for the change?

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets will meet for Game 4 of the first-round series on Saturday afternoon. Just one week ago, the Sixers were fully healthy heading into the postseason and managed to fire off three-straight wins to get a significant advantage against the Nets.

A win on Saturday would close out the series officially, but the Sixers are in a tough spot. Once again, Philadelphia’s big man Joel Embiid is battling with a postseason injury. After reporting soreness following a chippy Game 3 matchup, Embiid underwent testing on Friday morning.

Unfortunately for the Sixers, Embiid was diagnosed with a sprained knee. After getting the test results back, the Sixers didn’t see a need to risk Embiid’s long-term health. Therefore, he was ruled out for Game 4 on Saturday.

With Embiid being the Sixers’ top offensive option, the Nets zeroed in on defending the big man, sending double-teams and traps at him throughout the first few games of the series. With the big man out of the picture for Saturday’s game, the approach is likely to change.

Jacque Vaughn’s Tweaked Approach

“It’s different because obviously, he was an extreme focus for us in the previous games,” Vaughn said before Saturday’s game. “I think he ended up with 14 points in the last game, so he’s been number one on our scouting report. Had to go back and look at some games with no Embiid and what does that look like for their group. They play differently; faster, more transition, Maxey becomes a premium along with Harden. More shooting out there. It changes the dynamic and our scouting report for sure.”

The Nets have done a solid job slowing down Embiid’s offensive attack. Considering he averaged over 30 points per game during the regular season, the Nets were happy to hold Embiid to just 20 points per game through the first three games.

However, Embiid still found ways to be productive. And his absence will be notable for the Sixers.

Sixers Feel Prepared

“We’re a group, we’ve had practice at this,” Doc Rivers said before the game. “We got a confident group. We have a deep basketball team. Obviously, losing Joel takes away a lot of stuff and changes the way the game will be played. Tonight, I will invite them if they would like to trap all our fives tonight. I would be really appreciative of that. I don’t think they should change their gameplan at all. I got a feeling they will, so we have to almost figure that out as the game goes on. It’ll be new coverages. I think our guys have to be ready for that.”

This season, the Sixers have played without Embiid for 16 games. During that time, Philly has achieved a winning record of 11-5. While the regular season and the postseason are a different caliber of play, the Sixers still feel fortunate to have some experience playing without Embiid.

The Sixers and the Nets are set to tip off at 1:00 PM ET.