Joel Embiid and the No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers have done the unthinkable forcing a Game 7 against the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics after winning Game 6 on the road, 106–93. Now, the series returns to Boston for a winner-take-all showdown tonight, and Philadelphia has just received an encouraging update on their star center.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers in Game 6 with 30 points on 11-of-22 shooting, while Paul George chipped in 23 on 8-of-17 with five threes. Embiid himself contributed a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds despite being less than 100 percent. For Boston, Jayson Tatum managed 17 points and 11 rebounds, but Jaylen Brown struggled — finishing with 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting while committing five turnovers.
When healthy, Embiid has been Philadelphia’s anchor all season. In 38 games, he averaged 26.9 points on 48.9% shooting, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. But the Cameroon native has battled injury after injury over the last three years, never reaching 40 regular-season games, and has been managing his appendectomy recovery since returning to the lineup.
76ers Make Big Joel Embiid Announcement Before Game 7
Ahead of tonight’s winner-take-all game, Philadelphia has received positive injury news on their franchise star. Underdog NBA reported on X: “Joel Embiid (appendectomy recovery) listed probable for Saturday.” While not yet a full green light, the probable designation is an encouraging sign that Embiid is trending toward suiting up for the biggest game of Philadelphia’s season.
Joel Embiid’s NBA Career
Embiid was selected third overall in the 2014 NBA Draft and has spent his entire career with the 76ers. The seven-time All-Star holds career averages of 27.6 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 426 games while shooting 52.8% from the field. He claimed the 2023 NBA MVP award and remains one of the most dominant big men in the league when healthy.
76ers Right Now
Philadelphia finished the regular season as the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed. The winner of tonight’s Game 7 in Boston advances to face the New York Knicks in the second round. Tip-off is tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET.
