Is Joel Embiid Playing in Game 1? Latest Update on Knee Injury vs Celtics

Updated: Sep 10, 5:00pm UTC

After a first-round sweep of the Brooklyn Nets, the Philadelphia 76ers waited a bit for the Boston Celtics to be named their next opponent. Unfortunately for Philly, center Joel Embiid is still dealing with a knee injury sustained against the Nets.

Embiid's injury was originally reported as a Grade 1 LCL sprain, but some are suggesting it's more serious than that. Now, as the Sixers prepare for Game 1 against the Celtics, Embiid's status remains in doubt.

Joel Embiid Game 1 Injury Update

On Sunday afternoon, it was reported that Embiid would be listed as doubtful for Game 1.

This isn't a final call on Embiid, but it's certainly not a good or encouraging sign for the Sixers. Philadelphia has struggled to advance or meet expectations in the playoffs for the entirety of Embiid's tenure. With the Sixers already listed as underdogs against the Celtics, Embiid's injury status certainly doesn't help.

Game 1 is at the TD Garden in Boston, where the Celtics are currently 10-point favorites on FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds -- a line that will shift significantly if Embiid is able to suit up.

Embiid had another dominant season this year, averaging 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game as the likely league MVP. Philadelphia's actually 12-5 this season without Embiid, but a good portion of those games were against teams that aren't as good or as talented as Boston.

Embiid's status is surely something to keep a close eye on as Monday's game approaches.

David Kaestle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username davekaestle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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