Joel Embiid, the Sixers’ star player, suffered an orbital fracture and a minor concussion. It was revealed ahead of Philadelphia’s 2022 NBA Playoffs second-round meeting with Miami.
During Philadelphia’s Game 6 victory against Toronto, he sustained an injury. After being elbowed by Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Embiid received the injury. Embiid already had a damaged ligament in his right thumb and was playing through everything.
Here is a clip of how Embiid got injured:
The play where Joel Embiid got injured https://t.co/GYWDUxupoU
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 30, 2022
Embiid is a large center that can post up, shoot threes, distribute, and defend effectively. Joel Embiid’s injury may be devastating to his team, the 76ers.
The orbital fracture could take a considerable time to heal! Embiid, who leads the franchise in points and rebounds with 26.2 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, is certainly critical to Philadelphia’s postseason success.
There isn’t much clarification on his potential comeback date right now, other than the fact that he will be labeled as out for Game 1 on Monday. His earliest opportunity to return will be on Thursday, but he could be in for a lengthy layoff.
When he returned in 2018, after surgery, Embiid donned a custom-built mask. The 76ers’ statement on Friday night did not discuss any surgery, which could signal that it isn’t necessary this time around. There’s also the matter of passing the NBA’s concussion tests, which might take just a few days.
The 76ers could be in big trouble if the other players don’t step up their game in the absence of their ace teammate. But there seems to be a silver lining in the storm cloud as Embiid could be back in 1 or 2 games! It all depends on if he will need surgery or not.
The Philidelphia 76ers won their series against the Toronto Raptors in a 4-2 win, with the game against the mighty Miami Heat coming up in just a few days!
