Joel Embiid suffered a sinus fracture in the Philadelphia 76ers’ loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, the team announced. Embiid will be further evaluated this weekend and his “status will be updated as appropriate.” according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sportswho detailed some pretty grim numbers regarding the random bad luck of Embiid’s rapidly worsening injury history.
In particular, it is these facial fractures that are extremely rare but continue to happen to Embiid. Bodner did the research:
In fact, Embiid, among all his other problems, suffered a fractured orbital bone in 2017-18, and then again in Game 6 of Philadelphia’s first-round playoff win over Toronto in 2022. That injury made him 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 via Bennedict Mathurin’s elbow in the final seconds of the first half.
Including Friday night, Embiid has played in just six games this season out of a possible 23. He did not debut until November 12 after missing the first nine games of the season due to “left knee control” and a 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 for the team’s Big Three, 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 is going and, more broadly, how crazy the Sixers script is getting. Markelle Fultz forgets how to shoot. Ben Simmons melts. Bryan Colangelo burners. Embiid’s incomparable susceptibility to fractures.
This was supposed to be a season of hope and contention for the Sixers after adding George in the summer. But in the end, it’s all still up to Embiid and the guy just can’t get (or stay) on the court.
The Sixers have been extremely 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 entry line even in the miserable Eastern Conference, he’s reaching the point where they are in danger of missing the playoffs if their MVP doesn’t start putting together some consistent stretches of games.
