Injury to Embiid not enough to slow down Sixers
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia’s win streak became a secondary concern after Joel Embiid went down in the second quarter on Wednesday night.
Dario Saric had 26 points and 14 rebounds as the 76ers earned their eighth straight victory despite losing Embiid to a facial injury, beating the New York Knicks 118-101.
JJ Redick scored 21 points and Ben Simmons added 13 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the 76ers (44-30), who are a half-game behind Cleveland for third in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia, which has already clinched its first playoff appearance since 2012, has the franchise’s most victories since the 2002-03 club won 48 games.
Embiid was taken to a hospital for precautionary testing after a nasty collision with teammate Markelle Fultz. The team said the All-Star center had a facial contusion, but did not have a concussion.
“I was scared,” Saric said of his reaction to Embiid going down. “I hope he’ll be good and he’ll be ready.”
Embiid averages a teamhigh 22.9 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Philadelphia still had enough to beat New York (27-49), which lost for the fourth time in five games. Emmanuel Mudiay and Michael Beasley had 22 points apiece for the Knicks.
“You have to play well to win on the road,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. “We played well in parts.”
The 76ers stretched their four-point halftime advantage to 91-77 on Saric’s layup with 2:42 left in the third period.
New York never threatened in the final quarter thanks in large part to Saric, who raised his game in Embiid’s absence.
“He is such a big part of this team,” Brown said. “He is a great teammate.”
Fultz, the No 1 overall pick in last June’s draft, played for the second straight game after sitting out for most of the season while recovering from a shoulder injury.
The 19-year-old guard had three points, five rebounds and seven assists in 13 minutes, but his biggest blow was against his own teammate.
Fultz was driving toward the basket 20 seconds into the second when he appeared to accidentally headbutt Embiid. The 7-footer immediately went to the floor.
As a hush came over the sold-out crowd, he remained down for several minutes before he was helped off the court.
Fultz was not injured on the play.
“I know I hit him, but I believe he is OK,” Fultz said. “My heart dropped. He’s a tough guy. All I can do is pray for him.”
Embiid finished with five points and three rebounds in eight minutes.