‣ Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid suffered a lateral meniscus injury in his left knee, which has led to him being out indefinitely as the team explores treatment options.
‣ Embiid’s injury was caused during a game when Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga fell on his leg, exacerbating previous concerns as Embiid had missed games last month due to left knee soreness.
‣ Despite the injury, Joel Embiid has had a standout season, averaging career highs in points and assists per game, and achieving a career-high 70 points in a single game, joining an elite group of NBA players to have scored 70 points in a game.
For clarification: Shams tweeted that a team official announced Joel Embiid “tore his meniscus” — but that’s not what the team actually announced:
“An MRI following Wednesday’s game and further evaluation revealed an injury to the lateral meniscus in Embiid’s left knee. Embiid,…
— Philly Sixers Galaxy (@sixers_galaxy)
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Oh man, did you hear about Joel Embiid? The Philadelphia 76ers’ star got a nasty lateral meniscus injury in his left knee. It happened during Tuesday night’s game when Jonathan Kuminga, that Golden State Warriors forward, accidentally fell on his leg. The Sixers spilled the beans on Thursday.
So, Embiid’s gonna be benched for the rest of the weekend. The team’s scrambling to figure out the best treatment options. Remember last month? The guy missed three games because of left knee soreness. Yeah, it’s that knee again.
He already sat out during Saturday’s game in Denver. And also missed Monday’s clash against the Portland Trail Blazers. Oh, and get this – the Sixers were slapped with a $75,000 fine on Thursday. Why? They didn’t list Embiid on the injury report “in an accurate and timely manner” before the Denver game. Talk about adding insult to injury.
There was a bit of confusion on Twitter, though. Someone tweeted that Embiid “tore his meniscus” — but, uh, that’s not exactly what the team announced. They said an MRI after Wednesday’s game showed the injury to the lateral meniscus in Embiid’s left knee. Social media, am I right?
Despite the injury, Embiid tried to push through against Golden State on Tuesday night. But, bless him, he just wasn’t himself. The 7-footer scored only 14 points. That’s after sitting out the previous two games because of that pesky left knee soreness.
This season, through 34 starts, Embiid’s been on fire. Averaging career highs of 35.3 points and 5.7 assists per game. And this guy, an eight-year veteran, is leading the league in usage percentage (39%). Talk about carrying weight.
Now, let’s talk about Philadelphia’s 133-123 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 22. Embiid was nothing short of spectacular. He racked up a career-high 70 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block. And he did all that in just 37 minutes of action.
His 37 minutes on the court were the fewest ever in a 70-point game. The reigning MVP shot 24-of-41 (58.5%) from the field, 1-of-2 (50%) beyond the arc, and 21-of-23 (91.3%) at the foul line.
Becoming the ninth player in NBA history to score 70 points in a game is no small feat. He joined legends like Wilt Chamberlain and David Robinson as the only centers to score at least 70 points in a game.
Thursday night’s game in Utah will mark Embiid’s 13th absence this season. NBA players need to appear in at least 70% of their team’s games to qualify for the league scoring title. That’s a minimum of 58 games in an 82-game season.
Shaq had something to say about Embiid’s meniscus injury. “I feel for the kid… He was the clear cut MVP for this year.” It’s tough seeing such talent sidelined.
Embiid’s made 34 appearances this season. He needs to show up in at least 24 of the Sixers’ remaining 35 games to chase the scoring title. For most awards and honors, playing in 65 games is the minimum.
A player can’t miss more than 17 games to be in the running for league awards and honors. This includes MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and All-NBA selections.
Embiid was named an All-Star Eastern Conference frontcourt starter last week. But now, he’ll likely be replaced for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis. The league’s 73rd All-Star edition is set for Sunday, Feb. 18.
NBA betting sites have updated their odds. Embiid’s now the fourth-shortest odds to win MVP this season. He’s trailing behind Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. So, yeah, it’s not looking great for our 76ers center.
