76ers Superstar Joel Embiid Suffers Fracture in Loss to Pacers

Seven-time All-Star Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has incurred yet another injury, early into his club’s rough 2024-25 regular season start.

Shams Charania of ESPN reports that the 7-footer incurred a sinus fracture during Philadelphia’s 121-107 defeat to the visiting Indiana Pacers. The loss dropped the 76ers to a paltry 7-16 record, while improving the Pacers to 11-15 on the year.

Embiid crashed to the hardwood while being hit across the face by Indiana starting small forward Bennedict Mathurin. He lingered on the ground for a while, before eventually departing for the club’s locker room.

Charania notes that Embiid is slated to undergo more evaluation from the 76ers’ medical team over the weekend. Presumably a return timeline will be determined then. It’s possible that wearing a protective mask could be on the table.

The 2023 league MVP finished the game with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the floor (1-of-2 from deep) and 3-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe, plus five dimes and four rebounds, in 17:28 of first half action.

All-NBA Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton led all scorers on Friday with 32 points on 12-of-23 shooting (7-of-15 from beyond the 3-point arc) and 11 assists in just 34:32.

Philadelphia has had a rough go of it thus far this season.

Saddled with injuries, the team stumbled to a brutal 3-14 season start. After their first 13 bouts, during which the 76ers had gone 2-11, the club held a team meeting in an effort to right the ship.

During that conversation, Embiid, Philadelphia’s best player and de facto leader, was called out for being late and occasionally just skipping various team events.

Read more: 76ers Hold Team Meeting After 2-11 Start, Tyrese Maxey Calls Out Joel Embiid

Philadelphia has improved somewhat of late, having gone 4-2 across its last six games. All three of the team’s 2024 All-Stars — Embiid, nine-time All-Star forward Paul George, and point guard Tyrese Maxey — have missed extended time. The club was finally rounding into form thanks in part to the availability of that entire enticing triumvirate. Now, this fresh Embiid injury threatens to derail the 76ers’ recent progress.

The 30-year-old Kansas product, a five-time All-NBA Teamer, has only been available for six of his 7-16 squad’s 23 contests. In those games (which, admittedly, includes Friday’s incomplete appearance against the Pacers), the oft-hurt star is averaging 20.3 points on .411/.160/.952 shooting splits, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks a game.

Those numbers are generally far below the two-time league scoring champ’s career averages of 27.8 points on .503/.338/.827 shooting splits, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks.

Only Embiid’s passing looks to be more or less in line with his career output. This season, he’s averaging 3.8 assists, a marginal upgrade over his career mark of 3.6 dimes per bout.

Should Embiid miss extended time, it might behoove fantasy basketball team owners to pick up his primary backup, former two-time All-Star center Andre Drummond, off the waiver wire. A rebounding machine, the 6-foot-11 vet notched eight boards and seven points on 3-of-6 shooting in his 23:10 of action Friday.

For the year, the 31-year-old Drummond is averaging 7.8 points on 51.7 percent field goal shooting, 8.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals a night, in just 20.2 minutes per. His rebounding numbers per 36 minutes, however, become an insane 14.7 boards per. If he plays closer to starters’ minutes sans Embiid, he could gobble up double-doubles.

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