Joel Embiid Suffers Multiple Injuries, Will Miss Time in Playoffs
The Philadelphia 76ers took a significant hit on Thursday night. During the team's Game 6 matchup against the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Sixers star center Joel Embiid took an elbow to the face late in the game.
At the time, Embiid was visibly in pain as he wrapped up his 35-minute shift in the Game 6 victory over the Raptors. While Embiid was dealing with pain, it didn't seem like he suffered anything that would put his future availability at risk.
Unfortunately, that's not the case.
After the Sixers wrapped up Game 6 against the Raptors with a blowout 132-97 victory, Embiid underwent further testing. As it turns out, the big man suffered multiple injuries as a result of taking an elbow to the face from Raptors star, Pascal Siakam.
According to a Sixers official, Embiid suffered a right orbital fracture. In addition, he is dealing with a mild concussion. While there is no timeline for his return set, the team made it known that Embiid is out for the time being.
With Thursday night's win, the Sixers advanced to the second round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. On Monday night, they are set to face the Miami Heat on the road for Game 1 of the second-round series.
At this time, Embiid is expected to miss the matchup. Despite having the healthiest season of his career this year, Embiid has battled several setbacks throughout the playoffs. During Game 3 against the Raptors, Embiid suffered a torn ligament in his thumb. While the thumb injury didn't force him to miss anytime, the big man is now expected to sit out due to an orbital/head injury.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.