Joel Embiid’s injury history has been one of the defining storylines of his career, and it is following him deep into the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The seven-time All-Star missed the first four games of the postseason recovering from an emergency appendectomy before returning to help the 76ers pull off a stunning comeback against the Boston Celtics, erasing a 3-1 deficit to advance to the second round.
But Embiid has never looked fully healthy. He was listed with a right hip contusion heading into Game 1 against New York, then appeared on the injury report with a right ankle sprain for Game 2 — his third different injury designation in three games. In Game 1, he posted just 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field in 25 minutes as the Knicks won 137-98 in a blowout that wasn’t nearly that close.
The 76ers already looked like a long shot to even this series without their franchise center operating at full strength. During the regular season, Embiid averaged 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 48.9 percent from the field. That version of Embiid changes everything. The version Philadelphia got in Game 1 was not it.
Joel Embiid Ruled Out For Knicks Game 2
Shams Charania of ESPN reports that Embiid has been ruled out for Wednesday’s Game 2 with ankle and hip injuries, a significant blow to a team already trailing 1-0 in the series and facing a Knicks squad that has been historically dominant over the past few weeks. New York became the first team in NBA history to win three straight playoff games by at least 25 points, and they currently carry a clean injury report heading into tonight.
Without Embiid, the 76ers will lean on Tyrese Maxey, who is averaging 25.1 points per game this postseason while playing through a right finger tendon strain of his own. Role players like Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr., and rookie guard VJ Edgecombe will need to step up massively against a Knicks defense that already dismantled Philadelphia with Embiid on the floor.
