Joel Embiid doubtful for Game 5, injury hanging over Wizards’ comeback hopes

The Washington Wizards will prepare for Wednesday’s Game 5 as if Joel Embid will be playing. The Philadelphia 76ers will act as if their four-time All-Star center is not.

The 76ers, meanwhile, have not officially indicated whether he’ll be available. After the Wizards’ 122-114 win, 76ers guard Danny Green said they had to prepare as if Embiid would be out. 

Regardless of the severity, the Wizards are still in a 3-1 deficit against the Sixers — which means they’ll have to stave off elimination again when the series shifts back to Philadelphia. 

If Embiid is out for any significant portion of time — or even just for a few days — does that open the door for the Wizards?  

“They’ve won games without him,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. “This team is deep. This team is loaded. They’ve got a lot of veteran guys, lot of savvy guys. Dwight Howard’s started in playoffs, started in many years. He’s played in the finals. Mike Scott, we’ve had him. He can impact many games. … If we have to make adjustments, we will.” 

Monday wasn’t the first time that Embiid got hurt at Capital One Arena. In March, Embiid hyperextended his knee after a one-handed slam dunk — suffering a bone bruise that caused him to miss the next three weeks, or 10 games. In all, Embiid missed 21 games this season because of various nicks and bruises. 

The 76ers, though, have been equipped to handle Embiid’s injuries in recent years. Their ceiling won’t be as high without him, but they’ve managed to get by. Philadelphia was 10-11 in games without Embiid this season, and 11-11 last year.  That’s a much better record, by comparison, than what the Wizards posted in games without Bradley Beal (2-10 this season, 5-10 the year prior).

Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris are large reasons why. They’re the other two in Philadelphia’s “big 3” and their roles shift when Embiid is off the floor. Harris’ scoring average, for example, jumped to 22.2 points per game without Embiid from 19.5 overall, according to StatMuse. Simmons, a facilitator who’s usually not a score-first player, even scored a career-high 42 points in February against the Utah Jazz, a game without Embiid.

Still, that’s the regular season and the 76ers have notably struggled with Embiid off the floor. Against the Wizards, Philadelphia has produced a minus-7.7 net rating when Embiid sits, meaning they’ve been outscored by 7.7 points per 100 possessions. Howard and Scott — Philadelphia’s backup centers — don’t provide the same rim protection that Embiid does.
On Monday, the Wizards were able to make a run after Embiid’s exit. They led by as many as 14, their biggest lead of the series.

“We can’t lose our identity, regardless of who’s on the floor or not,” Green said. “We’ve been able to win games with different lineups and [in Game 4] I feel like we kind of panicked. … We kind of lost our identity.”

No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit and won the series. That’s what the Wizards are facing. There’s no guarantee that Embiid’s injury will pave the way for Washington to accomplish something historic. 

The Wizards, too, will be without a key contributor for Game 5 — and likely the rest of the playoffs. Forward Davis Bertans, who had 15 points Monday, suffered a grade 2 calf strain and will miss the next four to six weeks. Bertans had a frustratingly inconsistent season, but he is Washington’s only high-volume, above-average 3-point shooter. 

Bertans’ absence also makes the Wizards smaller. Brooks had previously pulled Raul Neto from the starting lineup and inserted Bertans (6-foot-10) two games ago because of Philadelphia taking advantage of the lineup’s lack of size.  

Now, Brooks may go back to Neto — creating that same problem all over again.  That is, unless the 76ers are missing a giant 7-footer in the middle, as well. 

“You win one game and the whole spirit changes,” Neto said, referencing the Wizards’ mood following Monday’s victory. “But it’s not enough. We have to win three more games.”