NBA MVP Joel Embiid injured his left knee in the final minutes of the Philadelphia 76ers’ loss to the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center on Tuesday night.
With just over four minutes left in the game, Embiid was backed up by Draymond Green and pulled by Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga. Embiid dove for a pass, Cumminga dove and it landed on Embiid’s left leg, just below the middle of his knee.
Embiid immediately clutched his knee in visible pain before walking off the court under his own power. Philadelphia did not enter the game, losing 119-107. Embiid scored 14 points in 30 minutes before exiting.
“So obviously he’s down, so they’re going to do an MRI tonight or tomorrow,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said after the game. The nurse added that the injury was unrelated to what he had recently sustained.
In the first half against Golden State, Embiid shot 1-for-7 in 10 minutes in the first quarter before heading to the locker room gingerly with his knee wrapped.
On Saturday, Embiid was late in the 76ers’ game against the Denver Nuggets. After going through his standard pregame warmups, a nurse decided the team’s medical staff “just didn’t like what they saw” and it was safer for Embiid to sit out the highly-anticipated matchup with Nikola Jokic.
Embiid was seen wearing a large wrap on his left knee throughout the game. Embiid missed the 76ers’ game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
After Tuesday night’s game, Nurse said the training staff was comfortable clearing Embiid to play against the Warriors and that the center felt good about the contest.
Embiid has missed 12 total games this season and is six short of qualifying for the postseason award. The NBA enacted a new rule prior to the 2023-24 season that requires a player to play in 65 games and log at least 20 minutes in those games to be selected for the MVP award and All-NBA teams.
How bad is this for Embiid and the Sixers?
As the nurse later said, the MRI would tell all. But speaking to players and coaches, he had a strong feeling that Embiid would miss at least a few games with the injury. However, there was no immediate concern that this was a serious matter. Again, though, that part won’t be clear until the MRI results are in.
After all, the problem for the Sixers is that they are now on a four-game losing streak, and in the process, are in fifth place in the East. They have been without rising star guard Tyrese Maxine for three games due to an ankle injury. Nurse said before the Warriors’ game that the 23-year-old could play Thursday in Utah. If Embiid misses an extended period of time, all the positivity that comes with his incredible start could quickly fade.
As for Embiid, this injury risks taking him out of the MVP conversation before we even get to the All-Star break. And as some of his teammates later shared, that aspect of the situation is gaining widespread acceptance in Sixers circles. – Sam Amick, senior NBA writer
Was the 65 game rule wrong?
That sentiment seemed to be the consensus in the 76ers locker room after the game. As the Sixers’ Paul Reid and Kelly Oubre discuss, the pressures associated with the league’s new rules could force NBA stars to play when they shouldn’t.
Only Embiid can speak for himself here, but the 29-year-old has been very vocal about his desire to be the MVP over the years, and it’s safe to assume that his desire to defend Michael Jordan’s trophy this time around is strong.
“I didn’t sign up for that (65-game rule),” Reed said. “I don’t remember signing any paperwork, you know? I guess the union was fine. But honestly, they didn’t have a choice. Yeah, it’s tough. It puts a lot of pressure on the players. That’s all we talked about. A lot of pressure, especially someone like (Embiid) trying to win the MVP again.
Embiid has been mocked heavily since his recent stint in Denver, and there is a level of scrutiny surrounding his teammates.
“(Do you have people) forcing him to be great when he’s 300 pounds, seven-foot-five?” Embiid’s list of 7-foot-280 is exaggerated, says Oubre. Yes, he has to do what he has to do. I think this year people will really understand that his whole career has to prove his body integrity. This is like NASCAR, right? If their cars don’t work and their mechanics can’t get the job done right before the race, what can they do? You can’t compete.
“This is our body. Our body is our car and we have to treat it with respect. He’s 350 pounds, bro. So, you know, I’m praying for a speedy recovery, that he can come in and give himself a better chance. But at the end of the day, that’s not important. His body and his career are more important than anything else. .- Amic
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(Photo: Neville E. Gard / USA Today)