Newly named NBA Most Valuable Player Tyrese Maxey said after Thursday night's win over Philadelphia that he has two more days to recover before the 76ers take on New York again in Game 4 on Sunday. I was overjoyed to know. Philadelphia's head coach echoed his sentiments.
“Rest and recovery is important right now,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said.
The Sixers and Knicks also enjoyed 48 hours off between Game 2 on Monday and Game 3 on Thursday. And these he after the upcoming fourth match between the two clubs, each subsequent match will be held on alternate days. And Philadelphia is keeping 7-foot Joel Embiid at every turn, equipped with all the knee braces and body armor needed for the reigning MVP in a new battle following meniscus surgery that sidelined Embiid all of February. You need to connect it and put it back together. and March, and it is revealed that he has a mild form of Bell's palsy.
The postseason calendar always turns over early as the league gets deeper into the NBA playoffs. In the second and third rounds, there will be little time for R&R until the NBA Finals schedule stretches into his two days between games. Several coaching staff members who previously worked with Embiid in Philadelphia told Yahoo Sports that the short recovery period in these mid-rounds could cause Embiid to struggle to advance past the second round. He said he had played a legitimate role. The faster turnaround time introduces an additional element for Embiid, or anyone dealing with a physical obstacle, as Embiid has done in all but one playoff game since 2018. It turns out.
That spring, Embiid suffered a fractured orbital bone, and the Sixers had to procure a customized, indestructible mask to protect the center from further injuries, including the worst-case scenario of possible blindness. It was included. A year later, Embiid was battling knee tendonitis, which apparently limited his mobility. His only healthy run in the playoffs was short-lived in the 2020 Orlando bubble when his running mate at the time, Ben Simmons, was sidelined with an injury. Fast forward to 2021, and Embiid suffered his first torn meniscus, which required surgery and forced him to miss Game 5 of the Sixers-Wizards first-round series. Then, in 2022, Embiid suffered another orbital fracture and concussion due to Pascal Siakam's elbow in Game 6 of Philadelphia's season-opening series win over Toronto, and he missed the first two games of the next game against Miami. He was absent. Despite suffering a torn ligament in his thumb, he returned for Game 3 wearing a different black mask. Last spring, during Philadelphia's second-round loss to Boston, Embiid suffered a sprained knee that limited his activities.
“That's a shame. Every year, I start asking myself the question, 'Why?' Every year? ” Embiid said Thursday.
This series against New York puts Embiid in a new position in the annual playoff war of attrition. Online outrage from Knicks faithful over Embiid's controversial swipe at New York center Mitchell Robinson before exiting Game 3 and leaving the Wells Fargo Center in a walking boot. It dragged on. It's unclear exactly when Robinson injured his left ankle, which caused him to miss the second half of the game, but Knicks players have been accused of Embiid's actions, such as swinging Robinson's airborne leg in the lane and Embiid lying on his back. ) agreed with the fan base's opinion. It was dangerous and reckless.
“We expect physicality,” Donte DiVincenzo said. “I think the grab he did on Mitch was dirty.”
“That wasn't a basketball play,” Isaiah Hartenstein added.
The finger keeps pointing. And, in Embiid's words, “unfortunately” the medical reports will expand. This is an inevitable aspect of the postseason, where the whistles are swallowed and the physicality increases. And the league's thirst for parity has reduced the gap between competing teams vying for slim odds to remain at the bottom come June. Zion Williamson's hamstring problem may have ended New Orleans' postseason run before it really began. Miami is playing without Jimmy Butler. With the Suns at a 3-0 deficit against the Timberwolves, Grayson Allen, who isn't a star at the same level, is also a big loss to Phoenix's thin rotation.
The opening week of the NBA Playoffs will serve as a reminder that this two-month battle is not just about progress, it's about survival. Kevin Durant's calf strain turned into a torn Achilles tendon and Klay Thompson's torn ACL could help tip the balance of the 2019 championship in Toronto's favor. While the Bucks lost 2-1 to the Pacers, six months later Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a similar calf strain, making Durant's misfortune a clear lesson. And now Antetokounmpo's co-star Damian Lillard is doubtful for Game 4 due to his own Achilles strain.
New York is already heading into the playoffs without Julius Randle after the All-Star forward underwent postseason shoulder surgery. The Knicks front office has received a sizable sample size to assess what New York's size will be long-term in the postseason. Randle was not part of a lineup starring three Villanova champions and OG Anunoby, a key player acquired at the trade deadline. Sunday will bring another test for evenness at two games apiece when Embiid faces a slump and the 76ers.
