Sixers' Doc Rivers Says Joel Embiid is in 'Good Spirits' After Knee Injury
The Philadelphia 76ers held their breath midway through the third quarter of Friday's game against the Washington Wizards. As the four-time All-Star Joel Embiid took flight and attempted an aggressive dunk, he was met with a bit of contact, which led to him awkwardly landing on his left knee.
Embiid immediately fell to the floor, grabbing at his knee as he was clearly injured. The game stopped as members of the training staff rushed over to Embiid to check everything out. After a few moments, Embiid was helped up and able to walk off the court and back to the locker room on his own power.
Unfortunately, he never returned. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sixers believe Embiid might be dealing with a hyper-extended knee. However, they can't confirm that much without an MRI. Therefore, the plan is for Embiid to undergo an MRI on Saturday when the Sixers return to Philly.
After the game, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers didn't want to speculate on the matter, but he did have a chance to speak to the All-Star big man before his postgame press conference, and Rivers offered up some good news for now.
"You know, I'm hoping for the best," Rivers said after the game. "I did talk to him. He was in the locker room. You know, he's in pretty good spirits. So, let's just hope for the best." This isn't the first time Embiid has dealt with a knee injury this season. Last month, the big man exited the home matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first half as he hyper-extended his knee. However, he returned to the court not too long after rushing back to the locker room to get checked out.
The situation was different on Friday night. Not too long after leaving the game, the Sixers ruled Embiid out with what they described simply as a left knee injury. Without X-Ray or MRI results, the medical staff can't assume what he's dealing with.
"We don't have any information," Rivers added. "We're just gonna wait. I thought our guys took care of the game, which is great, you know, and then tomorrow we'll get some more information, and then we'll go from there."
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.
