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Tim BontempsESPN
BOSTON — Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers said that while superstar center Joel Embiid worked out Tuesday afternoon, he expects the possible NBA MVP to remain doubtful for Game 2 of Philadelphia’s series against the Boston Celtics Wednesday night due to his LCL sprain in his right knee.
“There’s no change in his status,” Rivers said before the team conducted a film session at its hotel Tuesday afternoon. “But he’s working out today. He is over there with some of our guys right now and I’ll get the report when he gets back. But the fact that he is doing that is a step forward for sure.”
After Philadelphia’s stunning victory in Game 1, powered by a stellar 45-point performance from James Harden, stole home court away from the Celtics in the series gives credence to the idea that the 76ers can hold Embiid out of Game 2, and give him a couple of extra days to prepare to return to the court in Game 3 back in Philadelphia Friday night.
Rivers, however, said that the decision-making process for the 76ers will be health-based, and the Game 1 victory won’t have any impact on it.
“It’s just health-based,” Rivers said. “If he can play, he plays. If he can’t, he can’t. And if it’s 50-50, we would probably err on other side [and not have him play], because we’ve done that all year.”
While Rivers said Embiid has done some work in the pool, it isn’t the same as basketball conditioning. He also admitted his rotations might have to shift in order to accommodate for Embiid getting tired after nearly two weeks sidelined with the injury, which he suffered while trying to contest a shot by Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson in the third quarter of Game 3 of that series.
Embiid finished that game but had a large amount of ice on his right knee afterward, before further examination discovered the LCL sprain.
“I thought [in Game 1], even though we had a whole week of playing off and playing, I thought the first five minutes of the game we were gassed, which if you don’t play playoff basketball for a week, then you get in, they’re flying, you’re exhausted,” Rivers said. “So when he does come back, if that’s game two, game three, whenever he comes back, he’s going to be tired and we’re going to have to monitor that as well. That’ll be a new thing to throw in.”
What will determine where Embiid and the 76ers go from here is what happens in the wake of his workout — and, specifically, whether he gets swelling in his knee when he wakes up Wednesday.
“That’s the whole key,” Embiid said. “That’s why we’re doing it because you have to do it the day before to see if the next day, if there’s increased swelling, then even if he feels good, it’s a no. So that’s what we’ll find out tomorrow.”
Whether Embiid is able to play or not, Philadelphia got what it wanted out of the opening two games of the series: at least one win, and getting home-court advantage back on the 76ers side as a result. Rivers, though, said his team should be greedy, and needs to have the same level of desperation it had in Game 1 when it takes the court against for Game 2.
“We got to just win,” Rivers said. “I don’t think about Game 1. That’s over. At least for me. “We got to focus on tomorrow … We just got to be ready, and got to believe they’re going to play better.
“I expect [Boston] to play great.”