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Philadelphia 76ers Reveal Joel Embiid’s Injury Diagnosis

What is Joel Embiid dealing with after leaving Friday's game against the Pacers?

Justin Grasso

Dec 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on during a break in action in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Dec 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on during a break in action in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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The Philadelphia 76ers offered an update on Joel Embiid after the team dropped its Friday night matchup against the Indiana Pacers.

According to a team official, Embiid suffered a sinus fracture in the second quarter. He will be further evaluated, and his status will be updated as appropriate.

Embiid left during the second quarter of Friday’s game. After getting hit in the face, he was down for a bit before getting up and heading back to the team’s locker room ahead of the halftime intermission.

When the Sixers returned to the court for the start of the third quarter, Embiid was noticeably absent. The team shifted Guerschon Yabusele to the center position to fill the void of Embiid temporarily.

Not long after the second half started, Embiid was ruled out for the remainder of the game. According to the team, he was undergoing testing after dealing with an “impact” to the right side of his face. After the game, team officials confirmed they were still testing to see if the seven-time All-Star had suffered any fractures.

Embiid’s recovery timeline is currently unclear. The Sixers are set to face the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night on the road. If he doesn’t get the nod to play, it would mark the 17th game Embiid would miss this season.

When he returned on Sunday to take on the Chicago Bulls, Embiid produced 31 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists in 32 minutes of action.

Before leaving Friday’s game, Embiid checked in for 17 minutes. He scored 12 points while racking up four rebounds and five assists. The Sixers lost to the Pacers 121-107. They dropped to 7-16 on the year.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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