EMBIID INJURY RATTLES SIXERS DESPITE VICTORY
NBA Most Valuable Player candidate Joel Embiid emerged from quarantine on Friday only to exit in the third quarter with a left knee injury as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Washington Wizards, 127101, in Washington.
Embiid, who missed Sunday’s All-Star Game because of COVID-19 restrictions, threw down a dunk and landed awkwardly on his left knee before falling to the floor halfway through the third quarter.
He was attended to by Sixers trainer Kevin Johnson before getting up and walking to the dressing room on his own. The team said he had a hyperextended left knee and would not return.
Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers spoke to Embiid after the game and said the all-star was upbeat. Rivers said team doctors would examine Embiid further on Saturday once the swelling went down.
“He fell off balance. I am not going to speculate,” Rivers said of Embiid, who finished with a team high 23 points. “He was in the locker room. He is in pretty good spirits. Let’s hope for the best.”
East lead
The victory kept Philadelphia atop the Eastern Conference, moving them a full game ahead of the second-place Brooklyn Nets.
Embiid shot eight-of-11 from the floor and had seven rebounds and three assists in 20 minutes of playing time.
The Sixers led the Wizards, 80-60, when Embiid was hurt. The injury leaves the Sixers rattled for a reason: He had surgery on the same knee in 2017 causing him to miss part of the season. There is hope, however, that this one is less serious.
“It looked like a hyperextension. That’s what we all hope it is,” said teammate Tobias Harris. “We’re just praying that he’ll be
OK and be healthy tomorrow.”
Embiid, who turns 27 on Tuesday, was playing in his first game after receiving a negative test for COVID-19 earlier Friday.
Teammate Ben Simmons, who also missed the All-Star Game last weekend, has not yet been cleared to play, needing another negative test to be green lighted after he and Embiid were exposed to a Philadelphia barber who tested positive for the coronavirus last Sunday.
Clutch steal
Embiid entered Friday averaging 30.2 points and 11.6 rebounds in 30 games this season. Simmons is averaging 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists in 31 games.
Elsewhere, Kyle Kuzma finished with a team high 24 points and 13 rebounds, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made a clutch steal with 10 seconds left as the Los Angeles Lakers clawed their way back in the final quarter to beat the Indiana Pacers, 105-100.
LeBron James finished with 18 points and 10 assists and Montrezl Harrell had 17 points for the Lakers, who were playing their first game since the all-star break.
The time off seemed to help the Lakers who had lost two straight heading into the break and are now 4-7 over the team’s last 11 games.
“The break did exactly what I expected it to do,” said Caldwell-Pope. “I recovered. I caught up on rest and I’m mentally prepared.”