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No Joel Embiid? No problem, at least for one game. Without their star center who was sidelined with a knee injury, the Philadelphia 76ers were able to pull out a 96-88 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 on Sunday to complete the series sweep and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the fifth time in the last six years. The series sweep was Philadelphia's first since 1991, and the first in a seven-game series since 1985. 

Tobias Harris led the way for Philadelphia in Embiid's absence. He set the tone for the team early on with his aggression, and he continued to come up with big buckets throughout the game. He capped off a solid individual series with 25 points and 12 rebounds in the closeout win. James Harden (17 points, 11 assists) and Paul Reed (10 points, 15 rebounds) both turned in double-doubles, and Tyrese Maxey (16 points, eight rebounds) and De'Anthony Melton (15 points off of the bench) both hit some big buckets for Philly. 

Spencer Dinwiddie led Brooklyn with 20 points and six assists, while Nic Claxton was able to take advantage of Embiid's absence and be more effective than he was in the previous three games. He finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Their combined production wasn't enough to extend Brooklyn's campaign, and the Nets now enter an offseason of uncertainty. 

That feeling of uncertainty isn't exclusive to Brooklyn, though, as the Sixers now have to worry about the severity of Embiid's latest ailment, and how long it could potentially keep him sidelined. Sure, the 76ers were able to close out an inferior Brooklyn team without Embiid, but they're not going to be able to make any sort of a real run without the big man's services. That's not a secret to anyone. 

Unfortunately for Philadelphia, postseason injuries to Embiid have become a theme in recent years. He dealt with a meniscus tear in 2021 that kept him sidelined for the closeout game in the team's first round series against the Washington Wizards. Like on Saturday, the Sixers were able to close out the series against Washington without Embiid, who then played through the injury in the next round against Atlanta. 

Last season, Embiid suffered a concussion and orbital bone fracture during the first round against Toronto which caused him to miss the first two games of the following series against Miami. Unsurprisingly, the Sixers dropped both of those games and they went on to lose the series 4-2. Had Embiid been available for those two games, the series might have turned out differently. 

The hope this time around is that Embiid won't have to miss any time in the second round. Just missing a game or two could swing an entire series, just like it did last season against the Heat. The Sixers have a deeper and more well-rounded team than they have in recent years, but they're not built to withstand an extended absence from the MVP favorite. 

When asked after the game what the odds were that Embiid would be ready for the start of the second round, Doc Rivers replied "50 percent, at best." That doesn't sound ideal, but Doc also isn't an actual doctor, so who knows? The good news for the Sixers is that they did their part and took care of business against Brooklyn in order to maximize their rest time between rounds. Now they just have to hope that the series between Boston and Atlanta stretches on as long as possible.