Boston Celtics
Embiid underwent an appendectomy on April 9.
It’s unclear how much of Round 1 Joel Embiid will miss. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
April 17, 2026 | 5:12 PM
1 minute to read
The No. 2 seed Boston Celtics will play the No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers without Joel Embiid for at least Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.
-
5 things to know about the Celtics’ first-round playoff opponent
-
Philadelphia fans chant ‘We want Boston’ ahead of playoff series vs. Celtics
Embiid, who is recovering from an appendectomy surgery he underwent on April 9, will be out for Sunday’s series opener in Boston. 76ers head coach Nick Nurse made the announcement to reporters at practice Friday.
“I’m preparing for Sunday’s game, and I know he’s not playing in that one,” Nurse said of Embiid (via Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin). “So, that’s all. We’re just like zeroed in on trying to see, can we go in there and get ready to battle and fight and execute as best we can? And then we’ll start figuring—anything that changes, you know, the series becomes a series. Anything that changes starts probably right in the middle of that game, and then we take it from there.”
It’s unclear when Embiid will return to play. He was released from the hospital one day after his surgery was completed and missed Philadelphia’s final three regular season games. Embiid was also sidelined for the Sixers’ play-in victory against the Orlando Magic back on Wednesday.
He has not participated in 76ers practice since.
Embiid, 32, missed 44 total regular season games as he managed chronic knee injuries and various other issues. His knee ailments have plagued his career — he hasn’t played more than 39 games in a single regular season since 2022-23.
Embiid averaged 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 0.6 steals per game in his shortened 2025-26 regular season. He possessed a 48.9 field goal percentage and attempted 8.8 free throws per contest.
Embiid has competed against Boston in three series: the 2018 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the 2020 Eastern first round, and the 2023 Eastern Semifinals.
In 15 total playoff games versus the Celtics, Embiid is averaging 25.9 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, plus 1.9 blocks and 0.8 steals defensively. He owns a 43.8 field goal percentage and an 82.3 free throw percentage.
The Celtics have defeated the 76ers in the six postseason series they’ve played against each other dating back to 1985.
Game 1 is scheduled for a 1 p.m. Eastern Time tipoff from TD Garden Sunday. See the full Celtics-76ers Round 1 schedule here.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
