76ers star Joel Embiid (knee) out for Game 1 vs. Celtics

BOSTON (AP) — Joel Embiid sat out Game 1 of the Philadelphia 76ers' Eastern Conference semifinal against the Boston Celtics with a right knee injury.

Coach Doc Rivers confirmed the MVP finalist's status during his pregame availability on Monday.

Embiid sprained the knee in Game 3 of the 76ers' first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets. He sat out the next game, which Philadelphia won to complete a first-round sweep.

He had extended time to rest after his injury an has done some light shooting and drills during Philadelphia's workouts the past two days.

“That was his first real court time, but there was zero running still,” Rivers said. “You've just got to fill the void. It's not going to be one guy or anything like that. We do have experience with it this year. We've done much better than in years past. So we're going to lean on that.”

Embiid averaged 33.1 points this season to win his second straight scoring title. He also averaged 10.2 rebounds and tied a career high with 4.2 assists per game. He played in 66 games, the second-highest total of his career.

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