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Joel Embiid finger injury: 76ers star guts out crucial win with one hand; questionable Thursday vs. Celtics

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid has a complicated and unique injury history. For that reason, the 76ers are especially cautious with their All-Star center any time he suffers an on-court ailment. Thus, when Embiid headed back to Philadelphia’s locker room after suffering a dislocated finger that left his left ring finger pointing in the wrong direction during the first quarter of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, I didn’t expect to see him out on the floor again. I even Tweeted as much. It was pretty gruesome: 

So, you can imagine my surprise when Embiid was back out on the floor mere minutes later, recording a near triple-double (18 points. nine rebounds, eight assists) and helping to lead Philadelphia to a much-needed 120-113 win over Oklahoma City. It was a gutsy performance from the Sixers centerpiece, and afterwards I learned that I wasn’t alone in feeling surprised that Embiid returned to action so quickly. 

“I was shocked that he was able to come back out and play,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said after the game. “I thought he was done for the game. As far as what does it mean going forward, I don’t know that. What I do know is that that is a tough return to the court. That is a competitive statement, and I appreciate him. I respect that. We needed to play well here at home. We haven’t been on the right side of the win-loss column lately, and I respect his motives to come back.”

Prior to their win over the Thunder, the Sixers had dropped four straight games and Embiid made it clear that their recent struggles played a big factor in his decision to return to action. Had the team been on a 10-game winning streak maybe he would have taken the rest of the night off, but he thought it was very important for him to help set the tone for his team. 

“It was pretty bad,” Embiid said of the injury. “I was basically playing with one hand. In the midst of the losing streak, I just wanted to make sure that I did everything possible to help get us the win. … I really wanted to win this game. Consequences, we will see later, but as the leader, I wanted to go out and show my teammates that if you want to win, you have to go out there and do everything possible.” 

X-rays showed that his hand isn’t fractured, but Embiid will continue to be evaluated over the next couple of days. He mentioned that the team was looking at the ligaments in his hand. As a result, his status for the SIxers’ showdown with the rival Boston Celtics on Thursday night is up in the air. 

“It’s a possibility,” Embiid said of missing the game against Boston. “I want to play. It’s a big game. Last time we played them we had great success, but then again, whatever they want me to do. Obviously I’ll try to fight it, but they care about me, so whatever they want to do. … We’ll see.”

The Sixers would obviously love to have Embiid in uniform when they look to move to 3-0 against the Celtics on the season, but as always, they will prioritize his long-term health over potential short-term success. So, if they think that there’s any chance that he could do further damage to his hand by playing in the game, expect to see him on the sideline. 

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