Joel Embiid suffered LCL sprain and could wear brace in Sixers’ second-round series, sources confirm

In no world should life be so uncertain for an NBA team after its most impressive first-round playoff performance. Yet, inside the 76ers’ practice facility on Tuesday, there was a sense of concern from the Eastern Conference’s hottest team.

While the Sixers have the league’s most unstoppable player in presumptive MVP Joel Embiid, his availability for the start of the Eastern Conference semifinals remains unknown because of a right knee injury. A source confirmed that Embiid sprained his lateral collateral ligament. The recovery time for an LCL sprain is typically more than a week.

“There really isn’t any update yet,” Doc Rivers said of Embiid’s availability. “We won’t know anything for at least another couple of days probably before we can move forward.”

The Sixers are awaiting the winner of the first-round series between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks.

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Boston clings to a 3-2 series advantage after losing, 119-117, in Tuesday’s Game 5 at TD Garden. Since Atlanta won, the conference semifinals will start on Monday. If the Celtics would have clinched Tuesday, the Game 1 would had been Saturday in Boston.

Is there a better chance Embiid will play in Game 1 now that it’s pushed back to Monday?

“I just don’t know the answer,” Rivers said. “So I’m not going to give an answer that I don’t know yet. "

Nor is Rivers 100% confident Embiid’s injury isn’t season-ending.

“But I don’t think it is,” Rivers said.

Game 2 of the conference semifinals will be on May 3. Games 3 and 4 will be on May 5 and 7. If needed, Game 5 would be May 9. Game 6 would be May 11, and Game 7 would be played on May 14.

As the No. 2 seed, the Celtics, if they advance, will have home court advantage over the No. 3 Sixers. The Sixers would receive home court advantage should No. 7 Atlanta pull off the upset.

On Tuesday, Embiid watched film with teammates, but didn’t participate in practice. Following the session, he worked out in the weight room with Sixers head athletic trainer Kevin Johnson.

Even when he does return, the 7-foot-2, 280-pound center may have to wear a brace on his knee, a source confirmed. How will that affect his mobility? Will he dominate like he did before the injury? And will he be in shape?

Embiid suffered the injury in the third quarter of Thursday’s 102-97 Game 3 victory over the Nets at Barclays Center. While attempting to block Cam Johnson’s shot, Embiid became tangled up with Johnson and both players fell underneath the basket. The six-time All-Star remained in the game, finishing with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks.

However, Embiid complained about pain in the back of his knee after the game, and doctors noticed he had some swelling.

An MRI on Friday in Philadelphia revealed that Embiid had suffered a knee sprain. As a result, he was sidelined for Saturday’s first-round series-clinching Game 4. And with the semifinals beginning on Monday, that would be 11 days after the injury.

However, the thought was that Embiid would need to be healthy and play at an elite level for the Sixers to make a deep postseason run.

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Embiid won his second consecutive scoring title this season, averaging a league-best 33.1 points. He also finished seventh in rebounds (10.2) and blocks (1.7).

The Celtics won three of this season’s four meetings against the Sixers. In the lone win, on April 4, Embiid needed to finish with 52 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks for the Sixers to gain a 103-101 victory over a Boston squad that was without standout starters Jaylen Brown and Robert Williams III.

The Sixers will have to rely heavily on James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris in the second round.

Harris, the team’s fourth option, has been solid when involved in the game plan. However, Harden struggled through 34.3% shooting in the first-round series. And Maxey has a career average of 8.4 points on 34.0% shooting versus the Boston, the expected semifinal opponent.

As for Embiid, this won’t be the first time he has missed time in the playoffs. Of the Sixers’ six consecutive postseason appearances, Embiid was only healthy in 2020 — and that was in the bubble when teams had a four-month hiatus.

Last season against the Toronto Raptors, Embiid suffered a right orbital fracture and a mild concussion during the Sixers’ series-clinching Game 6 victory in Toronto. The injuries occurred when the Raptors’ Pascal Siakam inadvertently elbowed Embiid in the face while driving to the basket late in the fourth quarter.

Embiid, who was already playing through a torn ligament in his right thumb, missed Games 1 and 2 of the conference semifinals against the Miami Heat.

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In 2021, Embiid suffered a small lateral meniscus tear in Game 4 of the Sixers’ first-round series against the Washington Wizards. The injury occurred when he took a hard fall on his backside after Robin Lopez blocked his driving layup with 4 minutes, 43 seconds left in the first quarter.

He played with left knee tendinitis in 2019. He missed the final 10 games of the 2017-18 regular season and the first two games of a first-round series against the Miami Heat after suffering a fractured orbital bone in his left eye. Upon his return, Embiid wore a protective face mask.

But Rivers thinks the Sixers are now better equipped to deal with Embiid’s absence than in seasons past. They were 11-5 in games he missed in the regular season. And their 96-88 Game 4 victory on Saturday came without Embiid. The Sixers were the NBA’s only team to sweep in the first round.

“Each year we’ve gotten better when guys are injured,” said Rivers, who’s in his third season as Sixers coach. “The first year in the first half of that year, we struggled, I remember. Then we started winning a couple of games when one of our key guys were out. Last year, we were better. This year, we’re way better.

“So that’s what gives me confidence.”

The Sixers will participate in the Salt Lake City Summer League in early July.

The league will consist of the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Sixers. Games will be played on July 3, 5 and 6 at the Vivint Arena.

The NBA Summer League, which includes the entire league, is set for Las Vegas from July 7-17 at UNLV.