Celtics blow out Sixers in Game 2, NBA MVP Joel Embiid makes minimal impact in return

Joel Embiid returned to the court Wednesday night fresh off being named the 2022-23 NBA MVP. Though his presence was certainly welcome, he did not appear to be his usual dominant self, scoring 15 points as the Philadelphia 76ers were blown out by the Boston Celtics, 121-87, in Game 2 of their second-round series.

The big man had missed the Sixers' last two games, both wins, due to a right knee sprain. Embiid was cleared to play Wednesday night by doctors and the team's training staff following a successful morning shootaround and follow-up afternoon workout at Boston's TD Garden.

But should he have played? Philadelphia completed a first-round sweep of the Brooklyn Nets then won Game 1 in Boston without Embiid, the latter victory powered by James Harden, who matched his playoff career high with 45 points. The 29-year-old Embiid led the NBA in scoring for the second consecutive year at 33.1 points per game, but he's yet to eclipse 30 points in the playoffs (26, 20, 14 then 15 on Wednesday). In the Game 2 loss to the Celtics, he shot 4-for-9 from the field and pulled down three rebounds. He was 7-for-8 from the free throw line. Harden followed up his brilliant Game 1 performance with a dud; he scored 12 points on a brutal 2-for-14 shooting and failed to hit a single 3-pointer (0-for-6).

Should Joel Embiid have played in Game 2?

Former 76ers star and TNT analyst Charles Barkley was "surprised" Embiid got back into the lineup so soon after Philadelphia stole home-court advantage with its Game 1 win. "I wouldn’t have played him if I was the coach of the organization," Barkley said on air before Wednesday's game.

Sixers coach Doc Rivers acknowledged such arguments were "logical." But he also indicated that Embiid would likely play if he was cleared and stuck by that by inserting his star center into the starting lineup.

"Players when they are healthy they should play. When they're not, they shouldn't play," Rivers said. "But we’re not going to risk him for anything."

If there was a saving grace to Wednesday's blowout loss, it's that Embiid played only 27 minutes. Boston blew the game open in the third quarter and led 92-65 entering the fourth. Embiid and Harden did not play the rest of the game as the Celtics evened up the series.

"I felt pretty good to play and I felt like I could help the team," Embiid said. "I feel like I just got this out the way. Disappointed by the loss. But that's a step toward getting back to myself."

Embiid was named this season's MVP on Tuesday. "It's been a long time coming, a lot of hard work. I've been through a lot," Embiid said on TNT after his win was announced, reflecting on his remarkable life journey. He received 73 first-place votes to finish ahead of Denver's Nikola Jokic, whom Embiid finished behind in the MVP race each of the last two years, and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won the MVP in 2019 and 2020.

Contributing: Jeff Zillgitt, Cydney Henderson and Associated Press