Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid fell to the floor in pain after he was hit in the face during a 121-107 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.
Embiid had scored 12 points and had five assists and four rebounds in 17½ minutes before leaving in the second quarter. He did not return to the game.
The 76ers announced after the game that he’d suffered a sinus fracture and will receive a further evaluation this weekend.
The situation creates a level of concern considering Embiid’s medical history and what has already been an injury-plagued season in Philadelphia.
Embiid has played in just six of the 76ers’ 23 games to start the season.
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What happened to Joel Embiid vs. Pacers?
Embiid suffered a sinus fracture when Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin’s hand hit the 76ers’ center in the final seconds before halftime. Mathurin was collecting an offensive rebound and attempting to lay the ball back up.
What is Joel Embiid’s status?
Embiid suffered a sinus fracture and will receive a further evaluation this weekend, per the team.
Earlier, coach Nick Nurse did not provide many specifics other than saying the star player is expected to undergo further tests.
What is Joel Embiid’s injury history?
Embiid has dealt with facial injuries before. He suffered a left orbital fracture in 2018 and a right orbital fracture in 2022.
He suffered a significant foot injury in August 2014 that delayed his NBA debut two full seasons. He’s dealt with knee injuries throughout his career, including a left knee injury in January that derailed a potential MVP season.
It’s already been an eventful 2024-25 season for Embiid off the court. It started with the NBA fining the Sixers $100,000 due statements made about Embiid’s health.
Embiid also was suspended for three games without pay after he shoved a columnist in the locker room during a confrontation over something the columnist wrote.