Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse has offered an optimistic assessment of Joel Embiid’s health following the team’s intense Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
The Sixers avoided elimination by winning that matchup. Embiid played a central role in the match despite dealing with the aftereffects of recent surgery. Nurse addressed the situation in a post‑game interview detailing how Embiid carried on moment‑to‑moment to grind out the crucial win.
The star center dealt with appendicitis in the final week of the regular season and underwent surgery. It forced him to miss the NBA Play-In Tournament and the first three games of the playoffs.
What Nurse said about Embiid
Nurse said after the game: “The amount of games is still pretty low, right? These are super intense, pretty quick comebacks, every other day. He didn’t get lucky enough to get those three‑day breaks at the start, but he was doing everything he could to stay in the game.”
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He added, “We obviously ran a lot of stuff through him. We still think he got a lot of shots that can go in, but I think he’s directing traffic and making good passes and all that stuff.” Nurse emphasized that Embiid has at least given the team “a focal point to play through, which is excellent.”
Post‑game health outlook
Despite visible signs of fatigue and some stretching and limping from Embiid late in Game 7, Nurse claimed that nothing caused him immediate concern. He appeared to be in relatively good shape at the conclusion of the series.
The Nurse also said that the team’s medical staff and strength coaches will closely track Embiid’s recovery in the coming days.
He added, “He’s been working hard, and he’s been doing everything he’s supposed to do off the court, so we’ll just keep an eye on how he moves and how he feels.”
The Sixers hope that with a slightly expanded schedule between series, Embiid will have more time to rest and prepare. Embiid said he can play through the pain as long as it does not put him at risk of further injury.
He said after Game 7, “I’m just trying to be out there for my team when it matters.” Teammates have addressed that they trust the coaching staff and medical team to manage his minutes properly. As the Sixers will move on to the next round, an eye will be on Embiid’s workload as the team prepares for fresh playoff challenges ahead.
