Joel Embiid simply cannot catch a break this season.
The Philadelphia 76ers big man suffered a freak injury during his team’s Friday contest against the Indiana Pacers. The 76ers trailed the Pacers 61-50 with about 20 seconds left in the first half at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa.
Pacers guard Ben Mathurin tried to put back a missed layup attempt from Tyrese Haliburton. As he came down, Mathurin accidentally smacked Embiid in the face with his forearm. Embiid fell to the floor and had to be attended to by Sixers medical personnel.
Joel Embiid has to be the most unlucky player to ever pick up a basketball…
There’s quite literally nothing he can do to avoid these kind of freak accidents. It’s unbelievable. Story of his career. Dude finally gets healthy just to have this happen yet again.
Feel sick for him pic.twitter.com/RpqskDfoaK
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) December 14, 2024
Embiid was diagnosed with a fractured sinus, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. He will be further evaluated over the weekend. Embiid left the game with 12 points and 5 rebounds on 3/4 shooting over 17 minutes of action.
76ers: Joel Embiid suffered a sinus fracture in tonight’s game vs. Indiana. He will be further evaluated this weekend.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 14, 2024
Friday’s contest against the Pacers was just Embiid’s second game back from his last stint on the injured list. The former MVP has been dealing with a knee issue throughout the season that has limited him to just six total games played.
But despite his minimal action on the court, Embiid has been at the center of several off-court issues. There has been speculation surrounding Embiid’s relationship with co-star Tyrese Maxey. Embiid generated negative headlines for his physical altercation with a 76ers reporter.
With Embiid missing most of the season, the 76ers lost 14 of their first 17 games. The team has rebounded a little bit by winning four of its last six games to improve to 7-16.
But if Embiid has to miss more time, climbing out of the huge hole Philly dug for itself won’t get any easier.
