Is Joel Embiid playing tonight against Nets? Latest injury update on 76ers' star ahead of matchup (April 17, 2023)
Joel Embiid is having the most amazing season of his career and is the frontrunner for the MVP award. After dealing with numerous injuries throughout his career, the Philadelphia 76ers superstar is back on top and is dominating the league.
The 7-footer has helped his team win the first game of the 2023 NBA playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets. He seems to be 100% healthy, which is why he's been listed as active for the second game in the series as well.
Embiid has appeared in 66 games in the 2022-23 season and hasn't missed a game due to an injury since the matchup against the Denver Nuggets on March 27.
Joel Embiid is active and will play in Game 2 against the Brooklyn Nets
Joel Embiid is averaging a double-double with 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game this season. He's led the league in scoring for the second year in a row, which gives him an edge over the other MVP candidates.
Besides his amazing skills on offense, the six-time All-Star is also a lockdown defender. He's very versatile and could lead the Philadelphia 76ers all the way to the NBA Finals this year.
Fortunately for the team, he's healthy and motivated to win it all.
Embiid and his Sixers began their championship journey on Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets. They ended up winning Game 1 by 20 points, 121-101, after getting another big performance from the superstar center.
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The 29-year-old big man spent 33 minutes on the floor, scoring a team-high 26 points on 7-for-15 shooting. Embiid also added five rebounds, three assists, a steal and two blocks to his final stat line.
The Sixers also got a great performance from James Harden, who had a double-double with 23 points and 13 assists. Tobis Harris added 21 points on 64.3% shooting, while the 76ers' bench combined for 30 points.
Joel Embiid loves playing against the Brooklyn Nets and has had several great performances against them, including a 37-point, 13-rebounds performance in February.
The big man has played 19 career games against the Nets in the regular season, averaging 29.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. Due to this, we expect him to have another big performance in Game 2.
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Game 2 will be played on Monday night. After that, the series will move to Brooklyn for two more games. If the Philadelphia 76ers win it, they'll have a chance to sweep the Nets without returning to their homecourt before the second round.