If the Philadelphia 76ers are going to complete their sweep of the Brooklyn Nets in the opening round of the NBA playoffs, they’ll have to do it without the services of their MVP-caliber center. According to Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, star center Joel Embiid sprained his right knee during the Sixers’ Game 3 win over the Nets in Brooklyn, and as a result, he’ll have to miss Game 4 of the series on Saturday afternoon.
The good news, relatively speaking, is that Shelburne and Wojnarowski report that optimism exists Embiid won’t be on the shelf for too long with the injury.
ESPN Sources with @Ramonashelburne: An MRI revealed Sixers star Joel Embiid suffered a sprained right knee and will miss Game 4 vs. Brooklyn on Saturday. There’s optimism he could be ready to return as soon as early next week. pic.twitter.com/Btwm3ls8Vh
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 22, 2023
Shelburne noted that Embiid got hurt in the third quarter of Thursday’s game, which Philadelphia would go on to win, 102-97. He hit the deck after contesting a shot and was in considerably pain as he ran back up the floor.
Embiid was hurt contesting a drive by Cam Thomas in the third quarter of the Sixers Game 3 win Thursday https://t.co/17nwbiKu9Y
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) April 22, 2023
Embiid may not be suspended, but he has been ruled OUT for Game 4 with a knee sprain, per @wojespn
https://t.co/SpBU1DzkKq pic.twitter.com/VUTYe0s9JW
— Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) April 22, 2023
Embiid struggled in Game 3, scoring 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting with 10 rebounds. At one point, he left the game to go to the locker room with what appeared to be a back injury, but he was able to return to the game and play. If the Sixers are unable to sweep the Nets, the series will return to Philadelphia for Game 5 on Monday.