The Celtics haven’t yet advanced past the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA playoffs, but it’s certainly trending in that direction with Boston currently holding a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven and Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday night at TD Garden.
Boston will eliminate Atlanta, which will be without suspended guard Dejounte Murray, with a Game 5 victory. The Green then would officially advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals where they’d face the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, who swept the Brooklyn Nets.
And given the latest injury update regarding the knee injury suffered by 76ers big man and MVP favorite Joel Embiid, it seems the quicker that series begins would benefit the Celtics. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported Monday night Embiid has a sprained lateral collateral ligament in his right knee, which NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark confirmed Tuesday morning.
Shelburne reported that when Embiid first suffered the injury during Game 3 of 76ers-Nets on April 20 there was a sense it could be one or two weeks until he’s able to play. He did not play in Philadelphia’s series-clinching Game 4 win this past Saturday. Embiid now is scheduled to be re-evaluated in the middle of the week, though Shelburne expressed how he’s moving around better with the swelling having subsided. Nevertheless, whether Embiid is able to return at the start of the semifinal series or not, he’ll be dealing with a knee injury.
Clark’s report Tuesday, though, hinted Embiid would be questionable to start the series. “There is some hope that he can play towards the beginning of the Sixers second round series but he will be playing through a knee injury,” Clark tweeted. Sixers head coach Doc Rivers previously said he didn’t know whether Embiid would be able to start the series.
The NBA announced the Celtics will start their second-round series against the 76ers on Saturday, should Boston eliminate Atlanta in five games. If the series goes six or seven games, the semifinal series would start May 1. The difference between nine days or 11 days might not seem drastic, but the difference of even one game in the best-of-seven is pivotal.
The second-seeded Celtics, again, should they advance past the Hawks on Tuesday night, will host the 76ers in Game 1 on Saturday and Game 2 on Monday.
