76ers Included Joel Embiid in Josh Richardson's Bell Ringing Moment via FaceTime

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Playing without Joel Embiid at the center position is never an ideal situation for the Philadelphia 76ers. Considering he is arguably the team's best player, his absence will always be felt if he's not able to be on the court producing.

Unfortunately, that situation tends to happen a lot. While Embiid has an amazing skill set, along with a lot of positives to his game -- his availability will forever be the biggest issue in his career.

The term 'injury-prone' gets thrown around loosely in sports nowadays. But there's no denying the Sixers' big man fits that description. At this point, Philly has come to accept that. Joel Embiid will never finish a full season.

There's always going to be injuries, load management, and even suspensions in his case. It's not an ideal situation for a franchise superstar, but the Sixers just have to take the bad that comes with the good.

Lately, the Sixers have been accepting the bad. A few nights ago, Embiid ended up injuring his finger when attempting to block a shot. On the court, it was evident that Embiid dislocated his ring finger.

Although he would finish out the game, helping his team snap a four-game losing streak against the Thunder -- it would soon be announced that Embiid's injury is slightly more complicated than a dislocated finger.

Before Thursday night's matchup with the Boston Celtics, Joel Embiid met with the Sixers' medical team along with hand specialists. After receiving word that he tore a ligament in his finger, Embiid and the Sixers decided that surgery was his best treatment option.

Therefore, the big man had to pack up and leave for New York before Thursday night's tip-off. Playing against the Celtics without Embiid wasn't ideal for the Sixers -- but it didn't mean the game wasn't winnable.

Typically, Embiid can become a one-man show for the Sixers. On Thursday, though, they had to come together as a team to pick up the win. Everybody did their part in the victory from the starting lineup, down to the bench.

However, it was Josh Richardson's energy from the start that got the Sixers really moving. "I thought his attitude and his attack right out of the gate was impressive," said Sixers' head coach, Brett Brown, following the 120-113 win over Boston.

"He was just extremely aggressive on both sides of the ball. In the absence of Joel Embiid, we have a chance here at home where we are 18-2. We wanted to keep that momentum going. I think Josh drove that. He was our bell ringer tonight."

After every game, Brett Brown meets with his entire team in the locker room to deliver a post-game speech. When it's all said and done, he then chooses his player of the game to step forward and ring a small bell, which has been a tradition after every Sixers win.

For a second, it seemed like Embiid was going to miss Richardson's moment after the game, but Sixers' General Manager, Elton Brand had it covered. "I looked back over one of the player's shoulders and I could see Elton holding Joel on FaceTime," Brown said.

Despite being in New York, gearing up for a Friday morning surgery, Embiid managed to be a part of the ritual. As expected, Richardson appreciated that. "It was cool to be able to celebrate our win, and get to wave to him and say what's up?" said Richardson. "I'm praying for him to have a successful surgery."