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PHILADELPHIA — Injuries once again set the stage for Joel Embiid in a playoff run. The big man fighting through some type of issue and the Philadelphia 76ers bowing out no later than the second round have been the consistent, tragic themes of their playoff berths. 2024 was no different.
Unlike previous playoff runs, Embiid went out strong, dropping 39 points and 13 rebounds in Game 6 as the 76ers fell to the New York Knicks. The sting of losing in the first round hurts less given that Philly had dropped to the seventh seed as Embiid missed months with a left meniscus injury. He came back at less than full strength and developed Bell’s palsy, which messed with his vision and gave him migraines, as he led Philly in the postseason. Try as he did — and did both give a great effort and perform well — it wasn’t enough.
Embiid played in just 39 games in the regular season, the fewest since his rookie season. He played in just five games in April after missing all of February and March before the Sixers’ play-in game and eventual playoff series. It’s not hard to feel for the big man, who has been dealt blow after blow to various parts of his body. For him, though, there’s no direction to go but forward.
“I mean, never give up,” Embiid said when asked what he has learned about fighting through injury. “Gotta keep it going.”
Joel Embiid on playing through injury:
“I can’t feel sorry for myself. As long as I can play, jump even a little bit and I can be on the floor, I feel like my presence is enough.”
Said he could have taken more recovery time for his meniscus but didn’t want to let the team down. pic.twitter.com/2bJtknxc82
— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) May 3, 2024
“I can’t feel sorry for myself,” he said. “As long as I can play, jump even a little bit and I can be on the floor, I feel like my presence is enough, even if I can’t jump and I can’t move the way I want to or if my body’s not responding the way it should be.”
When it comes to Embiid and the injuries he deals with, he always brings the conversation back to the love of the game and the desire to be there for his team.
“I felt like, coming back this year, I could’ve taken more time to heal and get back to myself,” he said. The motivation to come back was not wanting to let down the team, namely Tyrese Maxey, whom Embiid believes in heavily. It’s safe to say he did just, going through a diligent recovery process and helping the team keep a more favorable seeding.
Joel Embiid leading the 76ers past the Knicks would have set them up with a second-round matchup against the Indiana Pacers. It’s unclear how his body would have lasted through that series given how battered he looked against New York. Still, with new issues to overcome in yet another postseason, he battled as best he could.
“I thought he fought through a lot of adversity,” Nick Nurse said, noting that Embiid was “going through a lot of stuff” and that he was “absolutely tremendous” in Game 6.
The 76ers may be out of the playoffs but Embiid still has the chance to compete for a huge accolade in the Paris Olympics, where he will take center stage with Team USA. Before heading out to train with the squad, he’ll be sure to get his body right from the injuries he sustained this season.
More must-reads:
- Pacers' Pascal Siakam leads team to Game 6 win vs. Knicks
- Don't let the media fool you, this Celtics team is battle-tested
- The 'Most triple-doubles in the postseason' quiz
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