Joel Embiid dealing with serious thumb injury

Jan 6, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Joel Embiid just can’t seem to catch a break in the postseason.

Embiid suffered a thumb injury during his Philadelphia 76ers’ overtime win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. Embiid was not sure how the injury happened, but it did not prevent him from hitting a winning shot.

On Friday, we learned that Embiid is feared to have suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb.

There is fear that Philadelphia 76ers All-NBA star Joel Embiid has a torn ligament in his right thumb, but Embiid has vowed to continue playing through the injury, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Embiid will rely on his pain tolerance and 76ers‘ medical staff.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 22, 2022

Despite the injury, Embiid is planning to play while hurt.

This should come as no surprise. The 28-year-old is trying to mirror the late Kobe Bryant in many ways. Bryant was famous for playing through injuries, which is exactly what Embiid is trying to do.

Embiid averaged 30.6 points and 11.7 rebounds per game during the regular season. He’s not going to let a thumb injury prevent him from trying to win a championship. His Sixers lead the Rpators 3-0 in their best-of-7 series. Game 4 is on Saturday.