A contentious chorus filled Madison Square Garden the last time the Philadelphia 76ers visited the Knicks.
It was April 30, and chants of “F–k” Embiid bellowed throughout Game 5 of a tense first-round playoff series — a not-so-subtle nod to Joel Embiid becoming New York’s newest sports villain.
Wednesday marked the Sixers’ first game at the Garden since that instant-classic series, which the Knicks won in six games.
“It was a little bit weird,” 76ers head coach Nick Nurse recalled of that series. “Nothing seemed to matter. Star guys would score. Star guys would not score. They’d get tons of rebounds. We’d get tons of rebounds. It didn’t seem to matter. Every game was close. It was strange in that sense.”
But much has changed for the 76ers since then.
After going 47-35 last season, the Sixers entered Wednesday at just 20-37, good for 12th place in the Eastern Conference. They had lost eight games in a row.
Embiid missed his second game in a row due to injury management for his surgically-repaired left knee, delaying his MSG return and taking much of the luster out of Wednesday’s playoff rematch.
Embiid, the NBA’s 2022-23 MVP, has played in only 19 of a possible 58 games this season.
Last week, Embiid cited the need to “fix the problem” in his left knee. This week, Nurse confirmed Embiid was undergoing tests on his knee but that a decision about whether to shut down the 7-foot center had not been made.
“I expect to see him in the next couple of days to have an update on that,” Nurse said Wednesday.
That knee has plagued Embiid since last winter, when he underwent surgery due to a torn meniscus.
Though he was less than three months removed from that operation when he faced the Knicks in the playoffs, Embiid averaged 33.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists in that series.
Beyond his production, Embiid drew the ire of Knicks fans when he dragged center Mitchell Robinson to the court on a shot attempt in Game 3, resulting in a flagrant foul that Donte DiVincenzo labeled as “dirty.”
Embiid committed another flagrant foul in Game 5 when he swiped a driving Jalen Brunson’s head.
“New York is my favorite city in the world,” Embiid said after hearing jeers throughout Game 5. “I’ve had a place here for the past five years, so I just love New York. The fans, when you play against a team, they’re always going to pick that guy. … I love it. If I’ve got to be the punching bag and hear a lot of ‘F Embiid,’ that’s OK. I love it.”
While Wednesday’s pregame introduction of the 76ers’ starters earned mild boos from Knicks fans, those jeers were likely nothing compared to what Embiid would have heard.
Even when he has played this season, Embiid has appeared compromised. His averages of 23.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game and 44.4% shooting pale in comparison to his previous four seasons.
The Sixers’ offseason signing of Paul George, a nine-time All-Star, to a four-year, $212 million contract has not picked up the slack.
George, 34, entered Wednesday averaging 16.8 points per game after posting at least 21.5 points per game in each of the previous nine seasons. He scored only two points in 37 minutes in a Feb. 12 loss to the Nets that Embiid and Tyrese Maxey both missed with injuries.
The Sixers’ first-round pick this summer is top-six protected, meaning that if they finish with a pick between No. 7 and No. 30, it will belong to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Philadelphia announced Tuesday that veteran guard Eric Gordon would undergo surgery on his right wrist. Kyle Lowry remains out with a hip injury.
Before Wednesday’s game, Nurse acknowledged a “very difficult” vibe around the Sixers amid their injury uncertainty.
“Can we handle some of the uncertainty around some of our core guys not playing, etc., and [can] guys that are getting chances go out there and compete? Nurse asked.
“Can the new guys find some kind of footing a little bit? It’s been pretty sporadic and erratic with a bunch of them. Hopefully those can settle in a little bit. Again, just being professional, going out there and playing and giving a great effort.”
It’s a far fall for a team that was recently considered among the Eastern Conference’s top contenders.
