Embiid has ligament tear in left hand, surgery set
Joel Embiid has a torn ligament in his left hand.
Embiid sat out the 76ers’ 109-98 road win over the Celtics on Thursday night and will undergo surgery Friday. He will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks.
Embiid injured the radial collateral ligament in the ring finger in the first half Monday against the Thunder. Embiid’s overlapped his pinkie to the point that it seemed he had his fingers crossed. He played most of the game with his finger taped and said he “couldn’t go up with two hands.”
Embiid has struggled with injuries ever since he was drafted with the No. 3 pick of the 2014.
“All of a sudden, we’re different,” coach Brett Brown said. “... I look at this as an opportunity. Nobody’s crying. This is not a ‘woe is me’ moment. ... We’ll take what we have, and what we have, I love.”
Beilein sorry for ‘ thugs’ comment: Cavaliers coach John Beilein said Thursday he has apologized after using the word “thugs” during a film session with his players the previous day.
ESPN reported that Beilein suggested during a Wednesday film session his players were no longer playing “like a bunch of thugs.” Beilein told ESPN he had meant to say “slugs” in reference to the team’s effort level.
Beilein repeated that explanation Thursday after his team’s shootaround in Detroit, hours before the Cavs beat the Pistons 115-112 in overtime.
“I was saying: ‘We’re making a lot of mistakes mentally, and we deserve better because we’re really playing hard right now. We’re not playing like slugs. We’re playing hard,’ ” Beilein said. “And somehow that word came out.”
The former Michigan coach who’s in his first season with the Cavs said he called the players afterward to explain and apologize.
Layups: Mavericks F Kristaps Porzingis recently had a platelet-rich-plasma injection as part of the treatment for the soreness in his right knee that has sidelined him since Dec. 31, ESPN reported. ... Nets G Kyrie Irving practiced fully for the first time since Nov. 14. He’s been out with a right shoulder injury. Irving said he hopes to return to game action soon. ... Clippers G/F Paul George will sit out Friday’s game against the Warriors with a left hamstring strain. George missed Saturday’s loss to the Grizzlies with the injury but played in Sunday’s win over the Knicks. ... Lakers F LeBron James passed Mavericks F Luka Doncic for the overall and Western Conference lead in fan voting for next month’s All-Star Game in Chicago. Reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks was the runaway leader in the East. ... Bulls C Wendell Carter Jr. will be out four to six weeks with a right ankle sprain.