The Philadelphia 76ers were riding high in their first-round NBA playoff series with the Brooklyn Nets, but then things took a turn for the worst. Toward the end of Game 3, Joel Embiid had an awkward fall and came up grabbing at one of his knees. While he stayed in and finished the game, the news later on was not as promising.
Before the Sixers took the court in a possible series-ending Game 4, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the All-Star center had suffered a sprained knee, and his return date is unclear.
Luckily, the team was able to complete the sweep without him. Now, he has a couple of extra days to rest and recover while they wait for the second-round opponent.
Since the news of the injury came to light, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers provided some new updates. He’s tried to keep Embiid in good spirits, but there is still no telling how long he’ll have to be on the sidelines.
“He was complaining about some soreness behind the knee, which is always a scary thing when it’s behind the knee,” Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. “There was swelling already, which is way too early. So we did the MRI… It just feels like whenever they tell a coach we’re going to get an MRI, it doesn’t turn out well most of the time and this one did not.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Joel Embiid & Philadelphia 76ers Updates
It goes without saying how tough of a blow this is for the Sixers. They’ve battled injury all year and now could be without their MVP big man at the start of their next series. A daunting task is ahead as a meeting with the Boston Celtics is right around the corner.
“I talked to him last night, clearly that’s on your mind, it is,” Rivers said. “But like I said, ‘This is another obstacle in the story that we’re going to write this year. And you’re going to be OK, it may take a minute, but this is just part of it.'”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Joel Embiid & Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Last offseason, Daryl Morey executed an array of moves to upgrade Philly’s roster to increase their title chances. That being said, if Embiid isn’t able to rejoin his team on the floor soon, it might be the end of their championship aspirations this season.
“He’s human, and goodness, this happens again,” Rivers said. “So let’s win, let’s get him back on the floor, and let’s just keep on our own journey. And that’s basically what we talked about last night.”
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