Joel Embiid joined the list of recent injury worries for the Philadelphia 76ers’ after sustaining an ankle problem in the loss against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
Embiid’s left ankle looked to have struck the stanchion under the basket before he left the game with 6:18 remaining in the first quarter.
The Cameroonian was then seen testing his ankle while on the bench during a timeout but had to ultimately head into the locker room for further examination. The Sixers announced later in the second quarter that Embiid would not be returning to the game.
Head coach Brett Brown says, “I’m going to learn more physically. I don’t know enough to comment on it.”
“I think it’s true for everybody where you want an honest medical assessment of anything that equals a potential problem, you just want to avoid.
“Landing the plane, entering the playoffs from this vision line of a bubble and time off and tip-toeing on pins and needles where you don’t want people to get injured and still find a rhythm, that’s a slippery slope.”
The three-time All-Star, however, offered some inspiration in the second half to talk with team-mates and speak in team huddles after returning to the bench.
The Philadephia 76ers would be low in spirits after two-time All-Star Ben Simmons suffered a partially dislocated kneecap which will require likely season-ending surgery, and now another of their big star, Embiid getting injured just four days after.
But Josh Richardson managed an impressive 34 points haul in Embiid’s absence, while Alec Burks continued his impressive bubble form with 20 points off the bench.
“It’s not positive, honestly,” says Richardson. “We’re kind of nervous, hoping it wasn’t too bad, but honestly, you never want to see your team-mates get hurt. When it’s your best player, it’s definitely a bigger hit so we just try and pick the slack up.”
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