Reports: Embiid Dealing With Thumb Injury, Expected to Play Through It

By Matt Gregan, Sports Talk Philly Staff Writer

There is some unwelcome news regarding Philadelphia 76ers' star center Joel Embiid. According to multiple reports, he is dealing with "pain and discomfort" in his right thumb following his 33-point performance in the team's Game 3 win.

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is experiencing pain and discomfort in his right thumb but practiced today and and expects to play in game 4, sources told ESPN. It’s possible he gets an MRI in the near future to determine the extent of the injury, sources told @wojespn and I

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) April 22, 2022

Embiid appeared to injure his hand after dunking over Pascal Siakam midway through the third quarter and was seen shaking his hand periodically throughout the remainder of the second half. His hand did not affect his play on the court as he scored 28 points between the second half and overtime, including knocking down the game-winning three.

He came out to the post-game press conference after Game 3 with "soft brace" over his wrist, according to The PhillyVoice's Kyle Neubeck.

The Athletic's Shams Charania also reported the Sixers fear he has a torn ligament in his thumb.

There is fear that Philadelphia 76ers All-NBA star Joel Embiid has a torn ligament in his right thumb, but Embiid has vowed to continue playing through the injury, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Embiid will rely on his pain tolerance and 76ers‘ medical staff.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 22, 2022

Obviously this would ratchet things up a bit, but it is, according to Neubeck, unconfirmed by the team at this point. Embiid reportedly participated in Friday's practice and is not listed on the injury report heading into Game 4.

All of the reports state Embiid intends to play through the injury, but this nevertheless is still not the type of news people want to see. He played through a torn meniscus in his knee in the playoffs last season and will likely be ok playing through this thumb ailment throughout the remainder of the playoffs. The team is reportedly weighing getting him an MRI in the coming days to confirm the severity of the injury.

The team is currently up 3-0 in their first-round matchup with the Toronto Raptors. No team has ever come back from that deficit. The Sixers wrapping up the series with a sweep would be all the more important after the reports about Embiid's injury. Picking up an extra day or two of rest whenever possible could be key throughout the team's playoff run. Game 4 takes place Saturday at 2 p.m.