PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid was back on the court Friday night for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, returning after sitting out the second matchup due to a sprained right ankle and hip soreness.
The All-Star big man had a difficult outing in the series opener, where New York dominated with a 137-98 victory. Embiid managed only 14 points while shooting poorly at 3-of-11 from the field before coaches pulled the starting lineup as the contest became a rout.
Despite being marked as probable for that first game, the Knicks exploited Embiid’s limited movement throughout the night, consistently finding open scoring opportunities.
While many anticipated his participation in the second game, team officials made the decision to hold him out just hours before tipoff.
The veteran center underwent an appendectomy during the final stretch of the regular season. He made his comeback in the fourth game of Philadelphia’s opening playoff round against Boston, playing a crucial role as the 76ers mounted a historic comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to knock out the Celtics.
