Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid sprained his left shoulder in Wednesday night’s 108-94 road loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, adding another worry for the Sixers, who are already without guard Ben Simmons.
Embiid bumped into Ante Zizic, the Cavaliers’ center, while being fouled towards the end of the first quarter. Despite clearly being in pain and clutching his shoulder, the 7-foot player remained in the game and missed both of his free throws.
Embiid was taken out by the Sixers at the next break in play, and he headed to the locker room, massaging his shoulder. He made a brief appearance on the bench during the second quarter before returning to the locker room for further assessment and treatment. By halftime, Embiid was back on the bench with his teammates, his hurt shoulder wrapped up.
Embiid will undergo an MRI exam Thursday to determine the extent of his left shoulder injury, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Keith Pompey. Embiid will miss the Sixers’ game tonight against the New York Knicks (7 ET, League Pass) because of the injury.
Joel Embiid (shoulder) will, as anticipated, sit out tonight’s game against the Knicks. Also as expected, Norvel Pelle will be back on the court after recovering from an upper respiratory infection.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) February 27, 2020
Joel Embiid will not be playing in tonight’s game against the Knicks due to an ongoing evaluation of his left shoulder sprain, according to a source.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 27, 2020
Joel Embiid stated that he is scheduled for an MRI tomorrow.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) February 27, 2020
Following the game, Embiid was visibly in pain with his left arm in a sling. He chose not to speak to reporters and had an equipment manager take his backpack out of the locker room. The silence in the room encapsulated the team’s mood.
The Sixers currently hold the fifth position in the conference. Regarding the duration of Embiid’s absence, who recently scored a career-best 49 points against Atlanta on Monday, Coach Brett Brown stated that he was uncertain.
“Frankly, I am uncertain,” said Brown. “This isn’t just coach talk, rather it’s a part of the NBA scenario. This is the reason we strive to gather talent and depth.”
Al Horford stated that his team struggled to adapt in the absence of Embiid, who typically contributes 23.8 points and 12 rebounds.
“Clearly, our game is centered around him and when he was absent, we were unsure of the next steps,” stated Horford, who contributed 10 points to the score. “We were at a loss on how to proceed. We need to determine how to play in his absence.”
Embiid set a new career record by scoring 49 points against Atlanta on Monday night. He is currently averaging 23.8 points and 12 rebounds.
The Sixers are gearing up to play an undetermined amount of time without Simmons, who sat out his second consecutive game due to a nerve impingement in his lower back. The team is yet to provide a timeline for Simmons’ return, adding to their concerns given his current injury.
Philadelphia, after playing against the Cavs and the New York Knicks on Thursday, is set to start a four-game road trip in Los Angeles on Sunday. The Sixers’ performance away from home has been lacking this season with a record of 27-2.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
