CAMDEN, N.J. — Joel Embiid has suffered yet another injury setback. Right after the Philadelphia 76ers center made good progress in his left knee injury recovery, he suffered a sinus fracture. Fortunately, there is a chance that he will remain in the lineup.
Nick Nurse said that Embiid will undergo another evaluation Sunday afternoon and that he has not yet been ruled out for Monday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets.
“We just still need information on this last assessment here this afternoon,” Nurse said. The 76ers’ head coach added that he wasn’t totally certain about whether Embiid would need to wear a face mask if he can play. He estimated that there’s a 50-50 chance that the Phantom of the Process makes a return.
“I think that’s certainly a possibility. He’s certainly done that before,” Nurse said, “but I don’t know that. Nobody’s told me that, ‘Yes, it’s gonna be a mask situation for sure.’ Nobody’s told me that.”
76ers injuries continue to pile up with new Joel Embiid, Jared McCain issues
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At the end of the first half of the 76ers’ loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday, Embiid got inadvertently smacked in the face by Bennedict Mathurin as they each attempted to secure a rebound. He was ruled out for the rest of the game after getting checked out in the locker room by the medical staff. The fact that he could continue to play is encouraging for himself and the team, though it would certainly be risky, even with a mask.
The 76ers will be without Jared McCain for a while after it was discovered that the standout rookie has a tear in his left meniscus that will require surgery. His absence leaves Philly without a vital scoring presence that will make it harder to climb out of its 7-16 hole.
Sam DiGiovanni is a beat writer at ClutchPoints covering the Philadelphia 76ers, with expertise covering the NBA at large as well as the NFL and MLB. The Marist College graduate previously wrote for The Knicks Wall, Philly Sports Network and Center Field Marist.
