Philadelphia 76ers battled hard despite the absence of star center Joel Embiid, but a late offensive collapse allowed the New York Knicks to secure a 108-102 victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday night.
Philadelphia managed only 12 points in the fourth quarter as the Knicks capitalized late to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the playoff series.
Embiid was ruled out approximately six hours before tip-off because of a sprained right ankle and soreness in his right hip. Coach Nick Nurse revealed that Embiid woke up in discomfort and underwent treatment during the team’s morning shootaround before the medical staff decided he was unfit to play.
Without the former MVP, the 76ers relied on Andre Drummond and Adem Bona in the paint. While the pair combined for 15 rebounds, foul trouble limited their impact offensively. Drummond attempted just two shots, while Bona failed to register a field-goal attempt.
The absence of Embiid’s scoring presence was evident in crunch time. The center has averaged 25.2 points during the postseason so far, production Philadelphia struggled to replace.
“We feel like we should have won it,” rookie guard VJ Edgecombe said after the game. “It came down to shot-making at the end of the game. They were making shots, we weren’t.”
Embiid had also endured a difficult outing in Game 1, where the Knicks cruised to a 137-98 win. He scored just 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting before Philadelphia’s starters were pulled late in the blowout defeat. Although he had been listed as probable before that game with a bruised hip, the Knicks repeatedly targeted his limited mobility on defense.
The 31-year-old only recently returned from a late-season appendectomy during Philadelphia’s first-round playoff series against Boston Celtics, helping the Sixers recover from a 3-1 deficit to advance.
Questions remain over whether the current hip discomfort is connected to the surgery. During Game 1, Embiid appeared in pain after colliding with Knicks guard Mikal Bridges on a screen and later admitted he may need to be more cautious physically.
Despite the defeat, Philadelphia showed more resistance offensively than in the series opener. Tyrese Maxey responded strongly after criticism of his passive display in Game 1, scoring 26 points. Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 19 points each, while Edgecombe contributed 17.
However, the Sixers shot only 4-for-17 in the final quarter, allowing New York to pull away late.
Nurse praised Embiid’s determination to return quickly from surgery and emphasized how badly the star wants to help the team. Philadelphia now heads home for Games 3 and 4 believing the series is still within reach.
“We definitely feel like we can pull ourselves out of this one,” Maxey said. “Kind of go home, get two.”
