Sixers Rule Joel Embiid Out for Multiple Weeks
Philadelphia 76ers fans... you can breathe again.
Joel Embiid is going to be just fine. It was a scary scene on Friday night as the big man laid down a monstrous dunk. Unfortunately, that poster came with a price to pay.
The big man landed awkwardly, and all of his weight put pressure on his left knee. It was an ugly scene that led to Embiid laying on the ground for a few minutes while grabbing at his knee.
After walking gingerly off the court using his own power to get back to the locker room, Embiid never returned as he was ruled out for the rest of the matchup.
Following the win over the Wizards, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers revealed that Embiid was in good spirits, but he didn't want to speculate on what the big man was possibly dealing with.
"We don't have any information," said Rivers. "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."
The Sixers hoped it's nothing more than a hyper-extension as they scheduled an MRI for the four-time All-Star first thing on Saturday morning. While the injury is still significant in a way, Philly dodged a major bullet.
MRI results revealed no structural damage, a team source confirmed. With that, Embiid is dealing with a bone bruise on his left knee. While that's great news since the injury isn't season-threatening, it doesn't mean Embiid will soon be back in the lineup.
According to a source, Embiid will be re-evaluated in two weeks. While it's unclear what activities he'll participate in over that time in terms of practice and rehab, Embiid is likely to be ruled out for at least the next eight games.
Tony Bradley and Dwight Howard will have to take over at center for the upcoming stretch of games while Embiid rehabs his injury.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.
