Details About Joel Embiid's Injury, Recovery Process During NBA Playoffs

Bad luck strikes again for Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. Despite playing in a career-high of 68 games throughout the 2021-2022 NBA season, Embiid will still have to battle through the 2022 playoff run while battling a physical setback.

As the Sixers and the Toronto Raptors battled it out through three games last week, Embiid confirmed he was dealing with a hand injury. After the team's medical staff checked him out, the Sixers feared he might've torn a ligament.

On Sunday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that was indeed the case. And 76ers head coach Doc Rivers confirmed that much following a film session.

Will Embiid Miss Time?

Outside of a bad battle with COVID-19 that kept him off the floor for nine-straight games, Joel Embiid didn't miss consecutive games this season. And it seems the trend will keep up in the playoffs as Embiid doesn't anticipate missing time.

Like last season and other previous playoff runs, Embiid will push through the pain and play while dealing with a torn ligament. While it's not an ideal scenario for Embiid and the Sixers, they won't worry about the big man undergoing any medical procedures until their playoff run concludes.

Is Surgery in the Cards?

Last year, when Joel Embiid tore his meniscus in the playoffs and played through it, there was a possibility that the big man could undergo surgery after the postseason run concluded.

But that never happened. This time is expected to be different, though. Per Tim Bontemps of ESPN, Embiid plans to have his ligament tear repaired through surgery in the offseason. While the situation is far from ideal, Embiid refuses to miss time as his team could be on their way to the second round as early as Monday night.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.