Sixers Sweep Nets; Joel Embiid Status TBD

They didn’t have Joel Embiid and they were on the road — but none of it mattered.

The 76ers swept the Nets, anyway — making Philadelphia the first team to advance to the second round in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Final score: Sixers 95, Nets 88 in Game 4 of their first-round series on Saturday.

The Nets, of course, became the first to get bounced, but still showed plenty of promise after the midseason trades of former stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

As for the Sixers, Tobias Harris led the way with a veteran performance, scoring 25 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. James Harden added 17 points and 11 assists, as the Sixers managed to close the series with a total team effort.

Meanwhile, Embiid’s status for round 2 is still up in the air, coach Doc Rivers told reporters. Embiid suffered a knee sprain in Game 3 and it sounds like he could indeed be out a while.

”Probably 50 percent, at best,” Rivers said of his return for the first game of the second round, whenever that may be.

Philadelphia now awaits the winner of the Celtics-Hawks series, which Boston currently leads by a 2-1 count.

Doc Rivers said he is unsure of whether Joel Embiid will be ready for the start of the Eastern Conference semifinals, then said he felt it was “probably 50 percent, at best.”

The series will likely start next weekend.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 22, 2023