76ers All-Star Joel Embiid Exits Pacers Game Early With Apparent Injury

The 2023 league MVP appears to be hurt yet again.

Dec 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) drives for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The 2023 league MVP appears to be hurt yet again.

Seven-time Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid has departed his club's ongoing home clash against the Philadelphia 76ers and headed to the locker room. Indiana shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin appeared to scratch him in the face late into the game's second quarter.

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With the 76ers often missing at least one of their three All-Stars, the team stumbled to a brutal 3-14 season start. Including Friday's ongoing game, Embiid has appeared in just six of the team's 24 contests. The team has turned things around somewhat, claiming victory across four of its last five contests, meaning Philadelphia is 7-15 on the year.

The Pacers, meanwhile, are heading in the other direction. Indiana is currently 10-15 on the year, good for the Eastern Conference's No. 9 seed, and has gone just 4-6 across its last 10 contests.

Indiana (ahem) paces Philadelphia at the halftime break by double digits in Wells Fargo Center, 61-50, after having led by as many as 13 points.

Embiid and fellow All-Star point guard lead the 76ers at the half with 12 points apiece. Embiid has scored his on 4-of-9 shooting from the floor (1-of-2 from long range) and 3-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe. He's also dished out five dimes and grabbed four rebounds in 17:28 of action. All-Star small forward Paul George, signed to a lucrative four-year, $211.6 million maximum contract in the offseason, has just three points on a minimal 1-of-3 shooting from the floor, plus three rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal.

All-NBA Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton's output is finally resembling his play during a 2023-24 breakout season. He's also scored a game-high 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the floor, including a whopping 5-of-10 shooting from deep, while dishing out seven assists, grabbing a pair of rebounds and nabbing a steal. It's one of his best halves of the year already.

Meanwhile, a pair of frontcourt pieces represent Indiana's only other two scorers in double figures through the bout's first two quarters. All-NBA Pacers power forward Pascal Siakam has 11 points, while backup power forward Obi Toppin has 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 shooting from the charity stripe. The Pacers are connecting on 46 percent of their field goal attempts and 38 percent of their 3-point tries.

UPDATE:

Embiid has been ruled out for the game's second half as he undergoes further team testing.

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