Author: Monojit Mandal
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers twisted his right knee during Game 3 of the playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets. Embiid joins a long list of NBA players who have been sidelined by injuries at the start of the playoffs, including Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Embiid suffered the injury while playing defense in the second half of Thursday’s game at Brooklyn. Several times during the match, the Cameroonian pivot was seen limping. He was almost ejected from the game after ‘kicking’ Nets forward Nic Claxton in the first quarter. James Harden, Embiid’s teammate, was later ejected after hitting Royce in an attempted tackle. Despite these circumstances, the Sixers won by a small margin of 102 to 97 to establish a dominant 3-0 lead in the series.
MVP candidate
Embiid emerged as one of the leading candidates for the NBA MVP award, leading the league in the regular season with 33.1 points per game. Losing him to injury would be very bad for the Sixers, who are trying to make a long run in the playoffs this year.
Pre-injury warning signs
Initial reports indicate that Embiid’s injury is not serious. However, it is unclear how long he would need to recover, and whether he can return to the court before the end of the playoffs.
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An MRI after the game found that Embiid had suffered an injury to his right knee on a throw with Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas during the third quarter, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne. Despite the injury, he played the rest of the match, although he was clearly not at his best. Embiid finished the game with 14 points.
Tyrese Maxey’s points helped the Sixers secure a narrow victory. With Embiid’s availability unknown, the club will need other players to step up if they want to make a long post-season run. The Sixers play Game 4 against the Nets on Sunday, and it’s unclear whether Embiid will be available. Fans and teammates will be waiting for updates on his condition, hoping that he can recover quickly and return to games.