Report: Joel Embiid Out With Torn Ligament in Left Hand, Evaluating Treatment Options
Further testing on Joel Embiid revealed that the Philadelphia center has a torn ligament in his left hand, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
ESPN's Tim Bontemps reports that the 76ers star had a successful surgery Friday in New York and will be re-evaluated in one-to-two weeks.
The injury occurred early in Monday night's contest victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Embiid went to guard Steven Adams down low, but quickly moved away from the play, and motioned for a timeout. The Kansas product's bent finger was seen stretching across his pinkie.
He briefly went into the locker room, where he got the finger taped and received an x-ray which Embiid said after the game revealed it was "nothing." He returned to start the second quarter and finished the game with 33 minutes of action.
"It was pretty bad. Was basically playing with one hand," Embiid said. "In the midst of the streak, just wanted to make sure I do everything possible to get us a win."
Philadelphia entered the contest in need of a victory, having lost its last four games. The team has largely struggled to find an identity on the offensive end of the floor.
Embiid has appeared in 31 games this season, averaging 23.4 points and 12.3 rebounds per game in just over 31 minutes of play. The Cameroon native has never played in more than 64 games in a season.
The 24-14 76ers currently sit at fifth in the Eastern Conference. They host Boston on Thursday, looking to beat the Celtics for the third time this year.
Tipoff for Thursday's game against the Celtics is set for 7 p.m. ET.