Joel Embiid Wraps Up Successful Surgery, Timeline Remains

The Philadelphia 76ers wrapped up their second-straight home win on Thursday against the Boston Celtics. On Friday, they boarded a plane that was headed to Dallas for their late matchup with the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.

Sixers' star center Joel Embiid, however, had different plans. This past Monday, the 76ers' big man had to rush to the locker room not once, but twice during the victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The first trip required Embiid to have his hand X-rayed as he suspected a potential fracture in his finger. The results came back negative. Knowing he was all good, Embiid returned to the floor. Moments later, he was heading back to the locker room once again.

Except for that time, something was visibly wrong. Embiid's left ring finger was dislocated, and it didn't take an X-ray to figure that out. After getting it popped back into place and taped up, the Sixers' center returned to the game -- for good.

Embiid seemed alright following the win over the Thunder, despite being in a reasonable amount of pain. At the time, it was unclear if he would be allowed to play moving forward, but soon, Embiid would find out his injury is more complicated than a dislocated finger.

A torn radial collateral ligament of the fourth metacarpal was the full diagnosis, per a team spokesperson. After further consultation with hand specialists and the team's medical staff, Embiid elected to have surgery.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey, Embiid's medical procedure, which was done in New York on Friday was a success! On Thursday, when the team announced the plan for Embiid, his timeline for a re-evaluation was set for one to two weeks.

Now that the surgery is complete, the plan stays the same. While the Sixers won't reveal a return date for the big man, there's a good chance Embiid could be back on the Sixers no later than a month from his surgery.

In a recent video posted by Dr. Rajpal Brar, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Brar reveals that Embiid's recovery should be "relatively quick." According to a hand surgeon that Dr. Brar consulted with, Embiid should "be back in a month, max -- if not sooner."

More details will emerge in a couple of weeks when the Sixers check on Embiid's hand to re-evaluate the recovery, pain, and stiffness.