Joel Embiid After 76ers Sweep: 'For Me, This Was a Success'
The season is officially over for Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. This is after the New York Knicks blew them out in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday, 144-114.
The Sixers' hopes took a massive hit after they lost Game 3 at home on Friday. This put them in a 3-0 hole, a deficit no team in NBA history has ever come back from.
To their credit, the Knicks did not waste their opportunity to close out the series in Philadelphia. They turned in a dominant performance to sweep the Sixers on their own home floor.
Embiid spoke to reporters after the season-ending loss. He admitted to being in a tough spot after the sweep. However, the seven-time All-Star also highlighted the silver lining.
"Yeah, I mean, you know, I said it and I'm gonna say it again. I know we lost. You know, and I know that's not the right mentality to have but, you know, for me, this was a success," he said. "I came into this year not knowing where I was gonna be, you know, if I was gonna play, if I was even gonna play based on how the knee was the last few years.
"And, you know, I came in just hoping for the best, and I feel like we're in a position where we figured out the knee. It hasn't been an issue."
"I know we lost. ... But for me, this was a success."
— ESPN (@espn) May 10, 2026
Although the Sixers got swept, Joel Embiid is grateful to finish the season in good health pic.twitter.com/h6Lc1em4I9
Embiid led the 76ers in scoring on Sunday. He registered 24 points on a perfect 8-of-8 from the field. The former NBA MVP also added five rebounds, four assists and two three-pointers in 28 minutes of action.
Embiid, who underwent an emergency appendectomy on April 9, put in a lot of work in his rehab to be healthy enough to return. He was not at full strength, but the fact that he was able to play in the postseason is an impressive feat in itself.
This is on top of the knee issues that he mentioned in his postgame interview. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April last year, limiting him to just 19 games during the 2025-26 campaign.
That issue carried over to this season. He also dealt with ankle, oblique and hip injuries throughout the campaign. Embiid played just 38 games in the regular season this year.
One major takeaway here is that Embiid is now relatively healthy. He has a full offseason ahead of him, which will likely involve extensive strengthening and conditioning.
The objective is for him to be fully healthy for the start of the 2026-27 season.
Related: 76ers' Tyrese Maxey Reveals Injury After Game 2 vs. Knicks
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This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 4:54 PM.