Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid, middle, will get helped off the court docket after getting hit within the face through the first half of an NBA basketball recreation towards the Indiana Pacers, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Picture/Chris Szagola)
PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid left the Philadelphia 76ers’ recreation towards the Indiana Pacers shortly earlier than halftime Friday night time after being struck within the face going for a defensive rebound.
Embiid was battling Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin when he caught an errant forearm and elbow to the bridge of the nostril. Embiid crumpled to the bottom as play continued up flooring and stayed down close to the Philadelphia bench, holding his face.
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The staff dominated him out early within the second half with “impression to the precise facet of the face” within the cheek and nostril space. There was no fast phrase on damage severity on Embiid, who had left Wells Fargo Heart for analysis.
READ: NBA: Joel Embiid leads 76ers to victory in return
“He’s getting examined on that,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse stated.
Embiid had 12 factors, 4 rebounds and 5 assists in 17 1/2 minutes in Philadelphia’s 121-107 loss to the Pacers.
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Embiid was solely enjoying his sixth recreation out of the 23 that Philadelphia has performed. He has been bothered by swelling in his left knee and in addition served a three-game suspension for a bodily incident with a reporter.
Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George – billed as Philadelphia’s “Large Three” after George’s offseason arrival — have performed elements of solely three video games collectively. The Sixers are 7-16 on the season.
“You simply have to maneuver on and observe after we observe once more and have a subsequent man up mentality,” stated Maxey, who led Philadelphia with 22 factors. “What sucks about that is that we had been shifting in the precise course. Guys had been determining roles, what coach desires from them and enjoying the precise method. We all know learn how to play with Joel – and now, we might should revert our minds again to enjoying with out him. That’s OK. It’s totally different. That’s how life is.”
READ: NBA: No plans to close down Joel Embiid, says 76ers coach
Embiid additionally has had variety of face accidents, together with an orbital bone fracture after a collision with Toronto’s Pascal Siakam through the 2022 playoffs and one in 2018 after colliding with teammate Markelle Fultz. Final yr, Embiid had Bell’s Palsy throughout a first-round playoff loss to New York.
Embiid advised ESPN after Sunday’s win in Chicago that his left knee points this season had been “miserable” due to the swelling not being associated to an damage. That was Philadelphia’s final recreation earlier than Friday.
“He’s been in a very good place all week and he practiced all week,” Nurse stated when requested about Embiid’s way of thinking. “We did a whole lot of stuff to rise up to hurry with him. However I can think about that he can really feel just like the black cloud is over him just a little bit. He simply retains operating into one thing, actually, sadly.”
