On May 6, 2026, the Philadelphia 76ers played the New York Knicks in the second game of the 2026 season playoffs. After a game one loss of 137-98, fans were hoping the Sixers would see a comeback in game two. With predictions favoring an NBA title loss for the Sixers, Joel Embiid’s absence in game two only further negatively affected the team’s chances of winning. Embiid has historically been a leading player in the Sixers’ lineup, with a Box Plus/Minus rating of 5.6 for the 2025-26 season. He was unable to attend Wednesday’s morning shootaround or that evening’s game due to hip and ankle injuries, alongside a reintroduction from an appendix removal. Embiid’s absence has left fans with mixed opinions. Alexander Williams, a Philadelphia 76ers superfan, said that “this is the healthiest Joel has ever been in a playoff series,” emphasizing the injury and lack of Embiid as something expected of the team. On the other hand, Tucker Motz, another Sixers fan, expressed doubts about the team’s ability to perform without Embiid.
Despite Adam Bona being considered Embiid’s replacement, Head Nick Nurse put Andre Drummond in the starting position in Bona’s stead. Overall, the Sixers had a strong lead at the beginning of the game, with the first quarter ending 15-8, Sixers up. In the first quarter, the Sixers fouled six times in the first eight minutes. In the last five minutes of the quarter, Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 6 points with two three-pointers. While the Sixers’ number of fouls decreased in the second quarter, first-quarter fouls did result in the Knicks shooting 10 free throws. The Sixers’ lead would be maintained until the late stages of quarter two when the Knicks took the lead, as a result of offensive miscues from the Sixers. Quarter three ended 90-89, with the Sixers up after two free throws from Quentin Grimes, which pulled the team out of an 89-89 tie. Despite the Sixers’ promising quarter-three ending, the Knicks would ultimately outscore them 19-12 in the final quarter.
In light of Embiid’s absence, other players’ efforts were of particular notice Wednesday night. Particularly that of Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, V.J. Edgecombe, and Oubre Jr. Maxey scored 18 points for the Sixers in the first six minutes of the second quarter. Having scored 17 points for the Sixers in game one, fans were excited to see George’s efforts on Wednesday night. However, on Wednesday, fan reactions were mixed, with some feeling he is dependable, and others pointing out the three-pointer he missed in the final seconds of the game. Edgecomb and Kelly maintained their usual performance, scoring 17 points and 19 points for the team, respectively. While Embiid did come back for the third game, many fans were not optimistic about the Sixers’ chances of winning with the team’s history failing to come back from a 0-2 loss. These fans would be proven right with the Sixers’ subsequent losses of 108-94 on Friday night, and 144-114 Sunday night during games three and four.
Sources:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/sixers/2026/05/06/joel-embiid-out-76ers-game-2-vs-knicks-injury-updates/89963587007/
https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/401871159
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48697141/nurse-rejoins-76ers-funeral-brother-huge-fan
https://clutchpoints.com/betting/knicks-vs-76ers-2026-nba-eastern-conference-semifinals-game-3-prediction-odds-pick
https://www.nba.com/sixers/game/0042500212/play-by-play
