Inside: Sixers star Joel Embiid could miss up to two weeks due to injury, News+Notes,
Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid has a bone bruise on his left knee and could miss at least two weeks, according to a person with knowledge of the injury.
Embiid did not suffer structural damage to his knee and will be evaluated again in two weeks. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Saturday because the severity of the injury had not been announced.
Embiid was injured in the Sixers’ win Friday over Washington. Embiid landed awkwardly after a dunk on his left leg, his knee joint appearing to bend slightly forward. He writhed in pain on the floor for several minutes, and a stretcher was briefly brought on the court, but the center limped off under his own power.
Embiid has emerged as an MVP candidate after helping the 76ers to the Eastern Conference lead. He’s averaging 29.9 points and 11.5 rebounds in 31 games.
The 76ers host San Antonio on Sunday.
Pro football
CHARGERS RELEASE CORNERBACK HAYWARD JR. >> Casey Hayward Jr. was released by the Los Angeles Chargers. The cornerback spent five seasons with the franchise after signing as a free agent in 2016.
Hayward Jr., who was a team captain, played in 14 games with 13 starts last season with an interception and eight passes defensed. He was inactive for the Nov. 29 game at Buffalo, snapping a streak of 107 consecutive games played.
He was the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after a career-high 12 tackles in a 20-17 win over Cincinnati on Sept. 13, but struggled in coverage most of the season, especially on deep routes.
Golf
JOHNSON DECIDES AGAIN NOT TO GO TO OLYMPICS >> One year later didn’t make Dustin Johnson change his mind. He’s not going to the Olympics.
Johnson said he didn’t put forward his name to be among the maximum of four Americans who can play in the Olympics. The Masters champion is No. 1 in the world. Countries can have as many as four players provided they are among the top 15 in the world ranking on June 21, the day after the U.S. Open.
“I really didn’t think much about it. I actually didn’t really ever decide whether I was going to play or not, I just didn’t sign up,” Johnson said Saturday. “But it’s right in the middle of a big stretch of golf for me, so that was the reason I was kind of waffling on it a little bit.”
The men’s competition starts on July 29. That’s 11 days after the British Open at Royal St. George’s in England, and a World Golf Championship, which Johnson has won, is the week after the Olympics. WESTWOOD LEADS AT SAWGRASS >> Lee Westwood gets another shot at winning The Players Championship, and another crack at Bryson DeChambeau.
Westwood made a 25foot birdie putt on the island-green 17th hole, and he closed out a 4-under 68 with a 5-footer for par to extend his bogey-free streak at the TPC Sawgrass to 44 holes.
It also gave him a twoshot lead over DeChambeau and set up a rematch from last week in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Tennis
MUGURUZA ENDS LONG WAIT >> Garbiñe Muguruza ended her almost two-year wait for a title with a 7-6 (6), 6-3 win against Barbora Krejcikova in the final of the Dubai Championships.
In her third attempt at a title this season, the former No. 1 hit seven aces and saved seven of the nine break points she faced to beat Czech doubles specialist Krejcikova.
It’s the 27-year-old Spanish player’s first title since winning in Monterrey in April 2019.