Joel Embiid suffered a sinus fracture during the Philadelphia 76ers’ loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, the team announced. Embiid will not play against the Hornets on Monday night and will likely miss the team’s next two games (against the Hornets again on Friday and against the Cavs on Saturday) afterward. The 76ers said Monday that Embiid will be evaluated in “about a week.”
Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports detailed some pretty discouraging numbers when it comes to random bad luck related to Embiid’s rapidly worsening injury history. In particular, it’s these facial fractures that are extremely rare but continue to happen to Embiid. Bodner did the research:
Indeed, Embiid, among all his other issues, suffered a fractured orbital bone in 2017-18 and then again in Game 6 of Philadelphia’s first-round playoff victory over Toronto in 2022. That injury caused him to miss the first two games. of the Sixers’ second-round series against Miami that year before returning in Game 3 wearing a protective mask.
And now it happened again against the Pacers, this time through Bennedict Mathurin’s elbow in the final seconds of the first half.
Including Friday night, Embiid has only played in six games this season out of a possible 23. He only made his debut on November 12 after missing the first nine games of the season due to “left knee management” and suspension. He appeared in four of five games in mid-November before missing seven more games in a row. He returned Sunday against the Bulls and it was the first time the team’s Big Three of Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George everyone finished a game together.
At this point, if you’re a 76ers fan, it’s hard to know whether to laugh or cry at how bad this season has been and, more broadly, the craziness of the Sixers storyline. Markelle Fultz forgets how to shoot. Ben Simmons melts. That of Bryan Colangelo burners. Embiid’s unparalleled susceptibility to fractures.
It was supposed to be a season of hope and discord for the Sixers after the addition of George this summer. But at the end of the day, it’s still all about Embiid and the guy just can’t get on (or stay on) the field.
The Sixers have been very cautious with Embiid all season as they play the long game of trying to keep him healthy for the playoffs, but at 7-16 and currently below the line even in the paltry Eastern Conference, it’s getting to the point where they risk missing the playoffs if their MVP doesn’t start putting together consistent runs.
