Is Joel Embiid playing tonight against the Celtics? Latest injury update on 76ers' star ahead of matchup (7th May 2023)

After years of being the runner-up, Joel Embiid hoisted the MVP trophy last Friday as the 76ers held a brief ceremony to honor their six-time All-Star. It was a memorable night that Embiid believed should have happened later in the regular season before the postseason began, as the 76ers lost Game 3 to Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics.

“I don’t think it affected me, but all this attention, I feel like it can be a distraction,” Embiid said. “I just feel like this type of stuff [can] happen in another time. You got that whole week between the regular season and the playoffs, right before the playoffs you can do something like that.”

In a pivotal Game 4 with the Celtics leading 2-1 in this second-round series, Joel Embiid is listed as questionable with a right knee sprain that he sustained in Game 3 of the first-round matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.

After winning his MVP last Tuesday, he made his return to action the following day for Game 2 at Boston's TD Garden. Embiid would drop 15 points on 4-9 shooting while having 3 rebounds and 5 blocks. Joel looked slow upon his return due to rust and his knee brace being factors.

But aside from those issues, the Celtics' defense was also key in holding the dominant big man down. He saw different coverages being thrown at him as Boston made sure that he would never get comfortable or even get into a proper rhythm.

In Game 3, Joel Embiid had 30 points on 9-19 shooting, including 1-2 from three-point range, while also having 13 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 assists and 1 steal.

Embiid looked much more like himself but still ran into Boston's similar defensive schemes from Game 2. With the Celtics' disciplined defense in holding the 76ers to just 39.7% shooting, the home team would drop another game in the series as they go down 1-2.

Joel Embiid's MVP ceremony igniting the Boston Celtics

After an impressive showcase in Game 2, the Celtics looked to continue where they left off, as they played Game 3 in front of an intimidating Philadelphia crowd.

Following the Celtics' 114-102 victory, their two stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum discussed the motivation they had before the game started as Joel Embiid had his MVP ceremony in the 76ers' Wells Fargo Center.

“We knew he was receiving his MVP award, which I still think is well deserved,” Brown said. “We knew that we wanted to take tremendous shots from them in the first half. We just got to play 48 minutes, and we knew the officiating was gonna be what it was. You know, whether it was how we feel about it, we found a way to get a win.”

“I could hear it. They had it on the TV, and I saw it," Tatum said. "It just kind of got me really ready to play. You could feel the energy from the crowd in the building and I'm happy for him, he deserved it. But, I was just focused on trying to win tonight."

With Game 4 being an important game in the series, the Celtics will look to continue their momentum against a hungry Joel Embiid looking to even the series at 2-2 before heading back to Boston for Game 5.