Inside The Celtics

The Latest on Joel Embiid's Status for Game 1 Against the Celtics

The Sixers may start their series against the Celtics without their star center.

Bobby Krivitsky

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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Joel Embiid is dealing with an LCL sprain in his right knee. The projected recovery timeline for that injury is four to six weeks. Jason Dumas of KRON4 News in San Francisco conveyed he's heard it would be "a pleasant surprise" if the Sixers' star center plays in either of the first two games against the Celtics.

Shams Charania reported on Run It Back on FanDuel TV that the six-time All-Star underwent platelet-rich plasma treatment, and he's dealing with more than a Grade 1 LCL sprain.

Charania also stated of Embiid, listed as doubtful for Game 1 in Boston, "There's some thought around this team (Philadelphia) that it would be a miracle if he ended up showing up tonight on the floor."

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski also reports that while the former Kansas Jayhawk is moving better, creating optimism for his potential availability for Game 2 on Wednesday, it's unlikely he'll suit up on Monday.

While the Sixers were 10.3 points better with Embiid on the floor in the regular season, per NBA.com, they went 11-5 in the games he didn't participate in.

Still, the Celtics went 3-1 against their division rivals in the regular season. Their lone loss was the final matchup when Jaylen Brown and Robert Williams didn't play. The visitors, all but locked into the second seed in the East, opted for a vanilla game plan that Embiid torched, registering 52 points in a contest that came down to the wire.

While Philadelphia's played well without the soon-to-be five-time All-NBA member, Boston blowing Game 1 on its home floor with Embiid inactive would represent another opportunity squandered, for which there is a tax, whether it wins the series or not.

It would also give the Sixers a confidence boost. The Celtics saw what that did for the Hawks in the last two tilts of that first-round series. And Philadelphia winning Game 1 without Embiid would put less pressure on him to return for Wednesday's matchup, potentially buying him a few more days to rest and rehab his right knee.

But having to fight to finish off Atlanta brought something out of Boston that the defending Eastern Conference champions are hoping carries over to this series, with Jaylen Brown telling Inside The Celtics after Sunday's practice, "I definitely think Atlanta made us have to fight. Atlanta brought the fight to us, and that's something that we're gonna need going through these playoffs, so hopefully, we'll be able to carry that and continue that on."

Boston's first chance to do so is Game 1 on Monday night. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the matchup before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Update: According to Wojnarowski, Embiid is out for Game 1, but there's optimism he plays on Wednesday.

Further Reading

Jaylen Brown Discusses Celtics and Sixers Rivalry, Bill Russell's Legacy

Here's What We Know About the Celtics-Sixers Second-Round Schedule

Celtics Praise Joe Mazzulla's Poise, Adaptability After Advancing Past Hawks: 'That's What It's All About, Especially in the Playoffs'

Celtics Discuss Difference-Maker in Game 6 vs. Hawks: 'In the Playoffs, You've Got Basketball, You've Got Execution, And Then You've Got This Like Fight That's Kind of Going On'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 6 Win vs. Hawks: Boston Delivers Late Haymaker, are on to a Date with the Sixers

Jayson Tatum Shares His Perspective on Bucks' First-Round Exit

Film Room: Roots of Celtics' Game 5 Fourth Quarter Collapse

Celtics Praise Robert Williams for Impact in What They Deemed a Must-Win Game 4: 'Can't Even Give Words to What Rob Does on Our Team'

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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