From the last thing this team needed department, the Sixers will be without Joel Embiid for Game 2 at Madison Square Garden Wednesday.
The star big man has officially been ruled out against the New York Knicks with a right ankle sprain and right hip soreness.
The Sixers were already in a 1-0 series hole after a 137-98 drubbing in Game 1 Monday night. Without Embiid, an uphill battle turns into something much greater.
We’ll see how Nick Nurse looks to use his big man rotation. Adem Bona started at the
beginning of the Celtics series with Embiid out, but Andre Drummond played the bulk of the minutes. Drummond has been the primary backup since Embiid’s return.
With New York starting Karl-Anthony Towns, who is more mobile and a threat from three, Bona might be the better option. With that said, Bona was brutal in his brief Game 1 appearance, committing five fouls in less than four minutes. With Jalen Brunson’s propensity to draw fouls, the frontcourt could get thing very quickly. Playing Dominick Barlow at the five is also an option, but that makes the Sixers much smaller.
In way you slice it, this is unfortunate news for the Sixers. They’re going to need the ultra-aggressive version of Tyrese Maxey to come out early. The All-Star guard took just one field-goal attempt in the first quarter of Game 1. The team could also use meaningful contributions from someone like Quentin Grimes off the bench to help match the Knicks’ firepower.
Game 2 tips off at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
