Embiid requires surgery after orbital fracture
At some point toward the end of the season, with the Sixers’ already assured of a playoff spot, Brett Brown was certain to find a time to rest Joel Embiid.
That desire, along with a more pressing issue, will cause Embiid to miss a 7:30 game Friday night in Atlanta and potentially several more games.
Embiid sustained an orbital fracture of his left eye Wednesday when he collided with Markelle Fultz during a play near the top of the key on the offensive end. Though he passed the NBA’s locker room concussion assessment tool, according to the Sixers, Embiid was sent to Jefferson Hospital for additional study. A CT scan revealed the fracture. According to the Sixers, “surgery will be performed in the coming days to address the orbital fracture, and further updates will be provided as appropriate.”
After leaving the Wells Fargo Center Wednesday, Embiid began to experience “concussion symptoms,” according to the Sixers, and he was diagnosed with a concussion. That sent him into the NBA’s concussion protocol.
By Thursday, the Sixers would confirm that Embiid did accompany the team to Atlanta. The road trip will continue Sunday in Charlotte. The Sixers will return to host Brooklyn Tuesday.
“Without Joel, you have to change your game,” said Dario Saric, after scoring 26 points in a 118-101 victory over the Knicks Wednesday. “Obviously he’s our horse out there. We need to share the ball. As we say in basketball, we have to go goodto-great, from a good shot to a great one. You can have an open shot, but if you can give a pass to an open teammate for a better one, then he’s taking the shot.
“Then that’s the only way we can play without Joel.”
Embiid missed two full seasons, then played just 31 games last year. This season, though, Embiid has been durable, appearing in 63 of 74 games.
With Amir Johnson scratched Wednesday with what Brown called flulike symptoms, the Sixers needed to adapt without Embiid. So they trusted Richaun Holmes for 21:56 and the center responded with 15 points and seven rebounds.
“That’s another life lesson, a professional lesson of staying ready,” Brown said. “We understand. I have been playing Amir over Richaun and it’s getting down to the end of the season. And how do people handle that? Richaun was excellent. He really responded well to that and we needed it all.”
Johnson should be available Friday. To help minimize the loss of Embiid Wednesday, Ersan Ilyasova played some center. Saric is available for some fivespot minutes, though the injury to Embiid left him concerned.
“Obviously, I was scared,” Saric said. “Everybody on the floor grabbed their head. Everybody is shocked in that moment. Players were in shock, fans were in shock.”