Nick Nurse Speaks on Joel Embiid's Quick Absence vs. Knicks

Joel Embiid dealt with an injury scare in Game 1 against the Knicks.

Apr 20, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) walks off the / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Heading into their Game 1 matchup against the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers listed their star big man as questionable due to knee injury recovery.

After going down with a meniscus injury in late January, Embiid underwent surgery. He wouldn’t rule himself out for the season, but the Sixers anticipated a multi-month absence from their All-Star.

By the time Embiid returned to action in early April, the 76ers ranked eighth in the Eastern Conference. Despite going undefeated to close out the 2023-2024 NBA season under the leadership of Embiid, the Sixers still had to go through the NBA Play-In Tournament to crack a spot in the playoffs.

On Wednesday night, Embiid helped lead the Sixers past the Miami Heat in the battle for the seventh seed. With that victory, the Sixers clinched a first-round series against the New York Knicks, which tipped off on Saturday night.

Despite being listed as questionable, Embiid was cleared for action after going through his pregame warmups ahead of Game 1. In the first half, Embiid was sharp offensively, as he knocked down six of his 11 shots from the field to score 18 points. He also collected five rebounds, while dishing out two assists in 16 minutes of action.

With a little under three minutes left to go in the second quarter, Embiid dealt with an injury scare, which led to him leaving the court early before halftime.

Despite the scare, Embiid managed to return for the second half and finished the game just as he typically would. Following Saturday's Game 1 loss against the Knicks, Nick Nurse didn't have any detailed updates on Embiid. The head coach explained that there would be an evaluation period in between games to determine what's next.

“Just like we do after every game, obviously he got assessed at halftime and he was able to go," Nurse told reporters, according to Clutch Points' Sam DiGiovanni. "Just like after every game, we'll see how he’s doing.”

Embiid struggled in the efficiency department when he returned to action in the second half. During his 20-minute shift, the big man made just two of his 11 shots from the field. Six of his 11 points came from the charity stripe

Overall, Embiid had a solid outing by producing 29 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals, but the Sixers didn’t have enough in the tank to overcome the Knicks, who took Game 1 with a 111-104 win.