Upon arrival to the podium, he sat down, sighed and said, “Well, he’s out …”Īnticipation for this one shifted immediately into “without Embiid” mode. Here are five takeaways from a stunning outcome that swiped home-court from the Celtics and stuck them in an early 1-0 hole:Ĭonfirmation of Embiid’s unavailability for Game 1 broke moments before Sixers coach Doc Rivers met with the media before the game. But doing it Monday required a whole ’nother level of resiliency, facing a tougher, deeper opponent in a truly hostile gym. The Sixers finished off their sweep of the Nets two nights later without Embiid. Center Joel Embiid was an unsurprising scratch, still hobbled by a right knee sprain suffered April 20 against Brooklyn in the first round. The Bucks, Grizzlies and Warriors all managed to prevail while down a significant piece.Īdd the Philadelphia 76ers to the list too, what with their 119-115 victory over Boston at TD Garden Monday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. No Giannis Antetokounmpo, no Ja Morant, no Draymond Green, no problem. the Celtics.īOSTON – Time and again already this postseason, we’ve seen teams face and win playoff games without star players.

James Harden has 45 and sinks a clutch 3-pointer with 8.7 seconds left to help the 76ers win Game 1 vs.

James harden vs jimmy butler stats