The Philadelphia 76ers welcomed back their All-Star center Joel Embiid for Friday night’s Game 3 matchup against the New York Knicks, after the big man was forced to sit out the second game of their Eastern Conference semifinal series due to injuries to his right hip and ankle.
The dominant center had previously sparked Philadelphia’s remarkable turnaround against Boston in the opening round, despite missing the series’ first three contests following appendix surgery on April 9. With Embiid back in the lineup, the 76ers captured all three remaining games against the Celtics, culminating in a Game 7 performance where he tallied 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
In the current series opener, Embiid contributed 14 points during Philadelphia’s lopsided 137-98 defeat at Madison Square Garden, then was absent from the sidelines as his team suffered a closer 108-102 setback in the second contest, allowing New York to grab a commanding 2-0 series advantage.
The Knicks, however, will be without forward OG Anunoby, who injured his right hamstring during Game 2 after posting 24 points across 37 minutes of play. New York head coach Mike Brown confirmed Anunoby’s absence during his pre-game media session on Friday.
Throughout this playoff run, Anunoby has been a key contributor for the Knicks, posting impressive numbers of 21.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while connecting on an outstanding 61.9% of his field goal attempts.
