Joel Embiid is out for the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of the series against the New York Knicks.
After dropping the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Sixers will be without their star center for Thursday night’s matchup.
Philadelphia was blown out 137-98 on Monday, and the team confirmed Embiid’s absence just hours before tip-off at Madison Square Garden.
Embiid, who managed just 14 points in 25 minutes during Game 1, is dealing with a sprained right ankle and soreness in his right hip, according to the team’s medical report.
In the first round, the Cameroonian big man’s presence was instrumental in the Sixers’ stunning upset of the Boston Celtics, who finished second in the regular season.
Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP, missed the first three games of that series after undergoing an appendectomy.
He returned just in time to help Philadelphia rally from a 3-1 series deficit, securing their first postseason victory over Boston since 1982.