Nick Nurse’s Reaction to Joel Embiid’s ‘Scary’ Fall vs. Pistons

Nick Nurse shared positive news on Joel Embiid's injury scare during Tuesday's game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons.

Apr 9, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) passes the | Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Every time Joel Embiid takes a tumble, Philadelphia 76ers fans reach a state of paranoia, considering the big man’s past with injuries. Lately, each fall has worried everybody, as the Sixers’ big man just returned to the floor after an eight-week recovery period.

Since taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder last Tuesday, Embiid has appeared in all but one of the Sixers’ last five games. After getting a night off against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, Embiid suited up against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.

The seven-time All-Star had a solid outing en route to a comfortable 76ers victory. However, it didn’t come without an infamous scare.

As Embiid chased after a ball that was headed out of bounds, he had an awkward fall after he planted his foot down to avoid stepping out of bounds. His facial expression looked like a player that was hurting on impact. When he fell and grabbed at his knee, the Wells Fargo Center went silent for a moment.

“He went down pretty awkwardly there and it looked like it was a little painful,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said after the game.

Where was his worry-level? Not high for long.

“He went right to his normal spot during the timeout so he wasn’t coming out,” the head coach added. “It was just a scary moment for him and everybody else too.”

Without a trip to the locker room, Embiid was able to get right back out on the floor to help the Sixers finish off the Pistons. He played his full 36-minute shift, scoring 37 points while adding 11 rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and two blocks.

The Sixers defeated the Pistons 120-102, which was the primary goal of the night. They can feel great about the fact that they managed to get Embiid a normal amount of playing time while avoiding a legitimate setback with his knee.

“I think he’s ok,” Nurse said of Embiid.