Joel Embiid won’t be back on the court on Tuesday night to help the Philadelphia 76ers when they attempt to bounce back from a 123-91 loss to the Boston Celtics in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
And it’s becoming increasingly less likely that the 7-footer will be available at all during the series.
The 76ers had no answers for the second-seeded Celtics in Sunday’s Game 1 as Boston rolled to its largest victory margin in a playoff opener.
The 76ers said Monday that Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP, is just starting his strength and conditioning program as he continues to recover following an appendectomy on April 9. There is no target date for his return.
Meanwhile, Sixers star Tyrese Maxey said getting back on track begins with not dwelling on everything that went wrong in Game 1.
“This is my fifth playoffs, so, losses, whether you lose by 7, 12, 100, they all hurt,” he said. “They all don’t feel good. But this one, it sucks; we didn’t expect this at all. But we just got to play better.”
Out West, the second-seeded Spurs are feeling great after Victor Wembanyama put up 35 points in his playoff debut during San Antonio’s 111-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Portland interim coach Tiago Splitter said his team needs to find ways to capitalize when Wembanyama is resting.
“I thought we couldn’t make money out of those minutes,” Splitter said. “I think (Spurs backup center Luke) Kornet did a good job defending and grabbing offensive rebounds. I think we’ve got to be better in those minutes for sure.”
Multiple big names were sidelined when LeBron James and the Lakers picked up a Game 1 win over a Rockets team that was missing Kevin Durant. Los Angeles, playing without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, got a career-playoff high 27 points from Luke Kennard and 19 points and 13 rebounds from James in the 107-98 victory.
Rockets coach Ime Udoka said Durant, who has a bruised right knee, will be a game-time decision on Tuesday. Udoka told reporters that Durant’s biggest lingering issue is mobility.
“The pain tolerance is one thing, but actually moving and feeling comfortable doing all the movements is going to be the biggest thing,” Udoka said.
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics
When/Where to Watch: Game 2, 7 p.m. EDT (Peacock/NBCSN)
Series: Celtics lead, 1-0.
Betting line: Celtics by 13 1/2.
What to Know: Jayson Tatum says he isn’t yet back to fully feeling like to himself after his first playoff game since Achilles tendon surgery. But he appears to be pretty close. Boston eased past Philadelphia in Game 1 as Tatum finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. The Sixers had no answers for the Celtics’ outside shooting (16 3-pointers) or their ability to turn Philly’s 15 turnovers into 22 points.
Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio Spurs
When/Where to Watch: Game 2, 8 p.m. EDT (NBC/Peacock)
Series: Spurs lead, 1-0.
Betting line: Spurs by 11 1/2.
What to Know: Wembanyama wants to win now and the Spurs fed off his energy in the opener. While it may be his first time in the playoffs, Wemby said he very much was expecting for the Blazers to try to get physical with him as a way to limit his effectiveness. “It’s their identity. Something to be expected and it’s also to be expected that they’ll double up on that in the next games, but we’re ready,” he said. One thing Portland can build on: It cut a 16-point deficit to two points in the third quarter before San Antonio took control.
Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers
When/Where to Watch: Game 2, 10:30 p.m. EDT (NBC/Peacock)
Series: Lakers lead, 1-0.
Betting line: Rockets by 4 1/2.
What to Know: The Rockets must regroup quickly after Los Angeles’ impressive Game 1 without top scorers Doncic and Reaves. Houston is hoping to get Durant back to boost its dismal offensive performance, but the Rockets know their overall defensive intensity must improve after the Lakers hit 60% of their shots. The Lakers were relaxed at practice, but they’re also working on new defensive approaches to bother Alperen Sengun and the Rockets’ top scorers. Doncic and Reaves aren’t close to returning, but they attended practice and shot free throws with their teammates Monday.
___
AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham and AP freelance writer Raul Dominguez contributed to this report.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
