PHILADELPHIA — The Knicks and the 76ers have major health questions as the Eastern Conference semifinal series shifts to Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday night.
The two centers, Joel Embiid and Mitchell Robinson, missed Game 2.
Robinson (illness) is probable to return and Embiid (sprained right ankle, right hip soreness) is questionable.
Knicks guard Josh Hart is also questionable due to a sprained left thumb.
Hart suffered the injury late in the third quarter but was able to finish the game and play most of the final quarter.
Of the three, Embiid is likely the biggest question mark.
On Tuesday, he woke up sore, 76ers coach Nick Nurse said, and the team determined after shootaround that day he wouldn’t be able to play.
Andre Drummond started in Embiid’s place.
The oft-injured Embiid missed the first three games of the playoffs after undergoing an emergency appendectomy late in the regular season.
In Game 1 against the Knicks, he struggled on the defensive end, and shot just 3-of-11 from the field while scoring 14 points in a blowout defeat.
One key to the Knicks’ postseason run has been their ability to force turnovers.
Of the eight teams remaining, only the Thunder are forcing more in the playoffs.
The opposition is committing 15.6 per game against the Knicks.
That number is up from 14.4 during the regular season.
It has been a major strength so far against the 76ers, who are averaging 18.5 turnovers in the two games.
Tyrese Maxey has turned it over 10 times, six coming in Game 2.
The Knicks have turned Philadelphia’s 37 turnovers into 48 points.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
