Embiid out with orbital fracture

The Philadelphia 76ers announced Friday night that Joel Embiid, the NBA scoring champion and a finalist for most valuable player, has a right orbital fracture and a mild concussion and is out indefinitely.

The injuries stem from a hit Embiid took with 3:58 left in Thursday night’s game in Toronto, when the 76ers were up by 29 and well on their way to advancing to the second round against Miami. He got hit in the face by a driving Pascal Siakam and immediately took several steps back in pain.

Barring a significant change, it would appear Embiid won’t be able to start this series against the Heat — at minimum. A similar fracture, to his left orbital bone, kept him out for about three weeks late in the 2017-18 season. He needed surgery and missed 10 games, including the first two games of a playoff series against Miami.

Embiid led the 76ers with averages of 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds and assists and 1.5 blocks this season. And even though he’s bothered by a right thumb ligament injury that will require offseason surgery, he also averaged 26.2 points and 11.3 rebounds against the Raptors.

Memphis 114, at Minnesota 106:

Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks each scored 23 points and the Grizzlies rallied yet again to eliminate the Timberwolves and advance in the playoffs for the first time in seven years, to meet Golden State. They’ll host Game 1 in Memphis.

Brandon Clarke added 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Grizzlies, who withstood another quiet night by star Ja Morant (17 points on four-for-14 shooting) and another doubledigit deficit entering the fourth quarter.