Embiid sprains shoulder in 76ers’ loss to Cavaliers
Collin Sexton scored 28 points and the Cavaliers rolled to a 108-94 win Wednesday night over the 76ers, who lost All-Star center Joel Embiid with a sprained left shoulder in the first quarter.
Embiid told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he will have an MRI on Thursday.
The 76ers, already playing without All-Star guard Ben Simmons, never led against the team with the worst record in the Eastern Conference and fell to 9-21 on the road.
Embiid collided with Cavaliers center Ante Zizic while being fouled late in the first quarter. The 7-footer held his shoulder in obvious pain but stayed in the game and missed both free throws.
The 76ers pulled Embiid at the next time stoppage and he walked to the locker room while rubbing his shoulder. He briefly returned to the bench in the second quarter, but went back for more evaluation and treatment. At halftime, Embiid rejoined his teammates on the bench with a wrap on his injured shoulder.
On Monday night, Embiid scored a career-high 49 points against the Hawks. He’s averaging 23.8 points and 12 rebounds.
Simmons missed his second straight game because of a nerve impingement in his lower back. ESPN reported that he likely will be out more than two weeks.
Earlier in the day, the league fined Embiid $25,000 after he made an obscene gesture on the court and used profane language during a live TV interview Monday.
Hornets’ Monk gets ban: Hornets reserve guard Malik Monk was suspended without pay for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA anti-drug program.
The suspension began with the Hornets’ 107-101 win over the Knicks on Wednesday and will continue until he’s determined to be in full compliance with the program.
The third-year player from Kentucky is averaging 10.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 21 minutes per game this season. However, he had been playing much better of late, averaging 18.2 points per game in the last seven games.
Monk has played in 191 games during his career with one start.
LeBron out with sore groin: LeBron James will miss the Lakers’ road game against the Warriors with a sore groin.
James, 35, is coming off a season-high 40 points in Tuesday’s 118-109 victory over the Pelicans.
On Christmas Day 2018, James suffered a torn left groin against the Warriors, which was the first major injury of his career. It submarined both his and his team’s season.
The 17-year veteran has been in good health this season, averaging 25.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and a league-best 10.6 assists per game for the Western Conference leaders.