Joel Embiid is officially playing in Game 3.
Multiple reporters said the All-Star is in for the biggest game of the series.
The Philadelphia 76ers star was listed as questionable for Friday night’s matchup with a right ankle sprain and right hip soreness, according to the NBA’s official injury report on May 8. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Latest Official NBA Injury Report (5:00 p.m. EST): Joel Embiid is still listed as questionable by the Philadelphia 76ers. ESPN’s Shams Charania said Embiid “could” play tonight, and the big man intends to warm up at the arena to see how his body responds.
The NBA releases injury reports every 15 minutes, and this post will reflect the most up-to-date IR information available.
That leaves the Sixers waiting on one of the biggest injury decisions of their season.
Philadelphia trails the Knicks 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals after Embiid missed Game 2. A return in Game 3 would immediately change the Sixers’ offensive structure, the Knicks’ defensive coverage and the pressure on Tyrese Maxey and Paul George.
For now, though, the official answer is still unresolved: Embiid is questionable, not available, not out.
Joel Embiid Injury Live Updates
3:01 p.m. ET: Shams Charania appeared on NBA Today, and said Embiid will be evaluated at the arena later today, but he said he did participate in the team’s walkthrough/shootaround, with the goal for him to be to warm up. He “could” play tonight.
2 p.m. ET: The NBA’s latest injury report listed Embiid as questionable for Game 3. His official injury designations are a right ankle sprain and right hip soreness. Tyrese Maxey is listed as available with a right finger tendon strain/splint.
Game 2 absence: Embiid did not play in Game 2 after the Sixers ruled him out with the ankle and hip injuries. NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that Nick Nurse said Embiid “woke up with a bunch of soreness” before that game.
What comes next: The most important updates now are the Sixers’ pregame availability update, Embiid’s warmup status and the final active/inactive list.
Joel Embiid Is Questionable With Ankle and Hip Injuries
The Sixers have already made the core injury concern official. This is not just a rest designation or vague soreness note.
Embiid is dealing with a right ankle sprain and right hip soreness, according to the NBA report.
That matters because both injuries can affect the exact things Philadelphia needs from him against New York: post positioning, short-roll balance, rim protection, lateral movement and late-clock shot creation.
The Sixers do not necessarily need Embiid to look like the MVP version of himself for 40 minutes. They do need him healthy enough to bend the Knicks’ defense. When Embiid is on the floor, New York has to decide whether to send help, live with single coverage or open up cleaner looks for Maxey, George and Philadelphia’s shooters.
Without him, the Sixers can play faster and smaller, but they lose the player who gives them their most reliable half-court pressure point.
That tradeoff is why the final decision is bigger than a normal questionable tag.
Is Joel Embiid Playing? Live Injury Updates Ahead of Sixers-Knicks