Joel Embiid enters Knicks series banged up but dangerous

For the second time in three postseasons, Joel Embiid enters a playoff series against the Knicks.

And again, the superstar big will have to get the job done while dealing with injuries that could affect his performance.

Back in 2024, Embiid battled the Knicks in a first-round playoff series months after left knee surgery and dealt with Bell’s palsy.

The often-injured big now enters Game 1 of this second-round series on the injury report as probable with a right hip contusion.

Embiid looked to narrowly avoid another ailment in the final minutes of Saturday’s Game 7 against the Celtics when co-star Tyrese Maxey fell backwards onto the big’s knee, the same one that underwent meniscus surgery in 2024.

Embiid — clearly in pain — immediately limped to the far corner on the next offensive possession, effectively taking himself out of the play while dealing with the discomfort.

He managed to stay in the game and defend Boston’s Derrick White before closing out on Sam Hauser, who misfired on a three-pointer less than a minute before the 76ers closed out the series.

“I feel great. I feel amazing. I was faking it,” Embiid said with a smirk after Saturday’s Game 7. He finished the matchup with 34 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and a block.

Now, Embiid’s battered body is set to take on Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson for a majority of the second-round series.

On both ends of the floor, the Sixers star will have to deal with Towns, who is coming off a historic first-round series — becoming the first NBA player to have two postseason triple-doubles in under 30 minutes — while being a much more involved defender closing out the series against the .