Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers avoided disaster Saturday, but not defeat.
Jalen Brunson led the New York Knicks with 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, and they defeated the Sixers 111-104 in Game 1 of their first-round series.
But Josh Hart and OG Anunoby provided the dagger.
But it was a game in which Philadelphia could have breathed a sigh of relief as Embiid suffered an injury scare in the second quarter. The problem came with an incredible off-the-backboard dunk, but Embiid fell to his knees as he landed.
Embiid remained on the floor, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling as trainers evaluated his leg. He was eventually helped from the court to the locker room.
Fortunately, Embiid was back on the floor, albeit with a bit of work at the start of the third quarter, as his team was losing 58-46. He had 29 points on 8-of-22 shooting, eight rebounds and six assists. He clashed violently with Brunson late in the game, drawing the ire of Madison Square Garden.
The left knee injury is a particular concern for Embiid, who missed more than two months of the regular season after undergoing surgery on the same knee. He returned on April 2, but missed the Sixers’ final regular-season game on Sunday.
