After winning the 2022-23 NBA MVP award, Joel Embiid finally made a return to the team for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. the Boston Celtics.
In his return, Embiid recorded 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 blocks while shooting 4-9 from the field. The Celtics easily won the game with a score of 121-87. After the game, Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers talked about Embiid’s ‘rusty’ performance in his return.
“Rusty. Early on, I thought he got a rhythm a couple of times, and I thought we were out of rhythm as well. But we expected that,” Rivers said. “We knew there was going to have to be some kind of growing pains. I’m glad we got it out of the way today. … I thought he moved fine. I thought there were several times that he had matchups that he was looking to pass. Especially early in the game, he was really trying to defer. We really don’t want him to do that, but I get it.”
Doc Rivers said he thought Joel Embiid looked "rusty" in Game 2 pic.twitter.com/RvC8oIXJjQ
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 4, 2023
When it was announced that Joel Embiid would return to the team for Game 2, the Sixers’ fanbase was oozing with joy. But after seeing his performance, it’s obvious that the organization should have given him rest for another game.
After all, he was coming off an injury, and it’s never easy to play on the road in that situation. The silver lining for the 76ers is the fact that the series is still tied at 1-1. They will have a chance to take the lead back in Game 3 in front of their home crowd.
The Philadelphia 76ers Were Terrible In Game 2 vs. The Celtics
Joel Embiid struggling to be aggressive in his first game back from injury was understandable. But the rest of the 76ers team should have filled the void, especially James Harden.
Harden had a sensational 45-point performance in Game 1, which propelled the 76ers to the win. However, in Game 2, Harden had 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists while shooting a terrible 2-14 from the field.
In a game where Jayson Tatum played just 19 minutes, the 76ers still ended up losing by 34 points. Doc Rivers needs to make some adjustments before Game 3, otherwise, the Celtics will punish them dearly.
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