The Philadelphia 76ers suffered a rough start to their Eastern Conference semifinals series, falling to the New York Knicks 137-98 in Game 1 on Monday night. It was a tough outing for the Sixers, who shot just 41.1% from the field while the Knicks sizzled at 63.1%, including 19 three-pointers compared to Philadelphia's 11.

But beyond the lopsided score, one play in particular has fans talking. During the game, Knicks forward Mikal Bridges ran into Sixers star Joel Embiid squarely in the abdomen. Embiid, still recovering from an appendectomy less than four weeks ago, doubled over in pain—a moment that immediately raised concerns.

The play unfolded when Bridges was chasing Tyrese Maxey off a screen. But here's the catch: Maxey was already past the screen and gone. So why did Bridges keep going and collide with Embiid? It seemed like an unnecessary hit, and Embiid didn't hold back when asked about it after the game.

"I got hit on it," Embiid said. "I don't know if it was—obviously, based on what's been going on. I guess I got to protect it more. I don't know if it was dirty or not. I guess I gotta do a better job of protecting my (stomach), yeah, especially that part."

When pressed further, Embiid elaborated on the sequence. "Yeah, it was off the screen. I don't think that was necessary, because, you know, Tyrese was already gone, and it was kind of like after the play. I just felt like it was unnecessary, but we move on. It's playoff basketball. If that's the reality of it, I guess we got to go out and be physical, too and do it, too."

Embiid finished the night with 14 points on 3-for-11 shooting, though he did go 8-for-9 from the free-throw line. It's clear the abdominal issue is affecting his game, and the Sixers will need to adjust quickly if they want to bounce back in this series. For now, the focus shifts to Game 2—and whether the Knicks will continue to test Embiid's recovery.