Is Joel Embiid playing tonight against the Celtics? Latest injury update on 76ers' star ahead of matchup (14th May 2023)
Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers fell short in their Game 6 performance as they ended up losing to the Boston Celtics with a score of 95-86.
Embiid, who has been averaging 27.6 points on 44.8% shooting, along with 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 2.2 assists, will be available to play in a critical Game 7 on the road against Jayson Tatum and the Celtics.
In Game 6, Joel Embiid had 26 points on 9-19 shooting along with 10 rebounds and three blocks. But, it wasn't enough to slow down the Celtics as they were able to force a Game 7 in this second-round series. The Philadelphia 76ers allowed the Celtics to shoot 42.3% in the ball game, including 42.9% from the three-point range.
The home team, on the other hand, struggled in shooting the ball efficiently as Boston held them to just 36.1% shooting, including 23.5% from three-point range.
The road team also had 17 turnovers to the 76ers' 11 turnovers and they still won the game. To make matters worse, after holding down Jayson Tatum to just 1-13 shooting in the first three quarters of the game, they struggled to contain him late in the fourth quarter as he ended up dropping 16 points on 4-5 shooting from three-point range.
The series is now back in Boston's TD Garden arena in a win-or-go home situation for both teams.
From the 76ers' perspective, a Game 7 win would mean the team's first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in the Joel Embiid era. While for the Celtics' perspective, a Game 7 win would mean one step closer to reaching the NBA Finals once more after last year's disappointing finish.
Joel Embiid on disappointing Game 6 closeout finish
During post-game interviews, Joel Embiid spoke with the media about a lackluster showcase from his 76ers and the inconsistent officiating of the referees.
"We didn’t start the way we wanted to," Embiid said. "We didn’t send a message. They were too comfortable. Between the momentum changing and that stupid [expletive] goaltending call, those type of calls can’t happen. This is the playoffs. If you’re going to make those type of calls, you’ve got to be sure about it. That’s just not OK."
From Embiid's perspective, they allowed the Celtics to get too comfortable on their home-court as the road team looked poised for much of the game, outside of struggles in the third quarter.
With season on the line in a pivotal Game 7 for both teams, fans should expect the ball game to come down to the wire in a tightly-contested matchup.