The road to contention becomes more difficult for the Philadelphia 76ers as both of their top players Tyrese Maxey are listed as questionable to play in the crucial Game 2 of their NBA playoff first-round series against the New York Knicks. Philadelphia 76ers as both their top stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are listed as questionable to play in crucial Game 2 of their NBA playoff first-round series against the New York Knicks.
The questionable tag was attached to Embiid immediately after Game 1 ended following his first-half injury scare. Meanwhile, Maxey joined Embiid on Monday (April 22) morning with a non-COVID illness. He was absent during their morning shootaround at Madison Square Garden, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
If both stars are unable to play, the Sixers may end up with a 0-2 series deficit.
Between the two Sixers stars, Embiid is more likely to play in Game 2 after coach Nick Nurse dismissed any idea of benching the reigning MVP for the rest of the series.
“I don’t think so,” Nurse told reporters after Game 1 when asked if they thought about benching Embiid. “He really is a warrior, and he’s fighting. I think he definitely wants to play.”
Embiid ended the game with 29 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in 37 minutes. However, he missed all five of his attempts and did not grab a rebound in the fourth quarter.
Embiid was never the same after his awkward fall late in the first half.
He showed pain as soon as he landed following an astounding alley-oop dunk off the backboard in the first half. He left the game with 2:37 remaining in the first half but surprising returned to start the second half.
Embiid missed his first two shots as it was clear that his knee was bothering him. The speed and energy he displayed to lead all scorers with 18 points in the first half were gone when he went to the locker room after the injury scare.
The Sixers have a record of 16-27 without Embiid this season.
Tyrese Maxey Praises Joel Embiid’s Warrior Mentality
Maxey is confident that Embiid will continue to play in Game 2 even with a injured knee.
“Nothing with Joel surprises me now,” Tyrese Maxey told reporters. “He’s always a fighter. He always tries to give his best for his team. So if he thinks he can play, he will definitely be out there.”
Now the question is whether Maxey himself will show a fighting spirit.
Maxey only missed 12 games in the regular season, two of them due to illness. But with a potential 0-2 deficit staring at them, will Maxey put up a brave front and play in Game 2?
The Sixers have a 4-8 record without Maxey this season.
Kyle Lowry’s Leadership Needed
If both Embiid and Maxey don't play, the immense pressure to lead the Sixers to an unlikely win in Game 2 will fall on the shoulders of Philadelphia’s own Kyle Lowry.
The 38-year-old Lowry scored 18 points, got 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in 39 minutes in Game 1. But the Sixers will need more from him, particularly with the potential absence of their top players.
“We need to figure out how to play when [Embiid] is off the court,” Kyle Lowry told reporters after Game 1. “Play with some speed, play with more decisiveness. You know, he’s such a dominant force for us, and we get comfortable when he’s there. But when he’s not there, we need to find ways to get other players involved, get the ball moving, play with more energy and communicate better.”
However, now they also have to find a way to play without Maxey.
