Philadelphia 76ers’ star Joel Embiid suffered a right knee injury after a hard fall Monday night, which knocked him out of his team’s 122-114 Game 4 loss at the Washington Wizards.
Sixers coach Doc Rivers said Embiid would have an MRI on Tuesday and was uncertain if he would be able to play in Wednesday’s Game 5 in Philadelphia as the 76ers, up 3-1 in the series, try again to clinch.
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Embiid crashed to the floor after he was met in the air at the rim by Wizards center Robin Lopez just over seven minutes into the game. Lopez cleanly blocked the shot, but Embiid lost his balance on the way down and crashed onto his backside, instantly grimacing in pain.
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Embiid stayed in the game after a timeout and finished out the first quarter but was in some discomfort, holding his lower right back area. After checking out of the game in the final seconds of the first quarter, he went to the locker room, limping slightly, and never returned.
Embiid made an impact in his time on floor, scoring eight points with six rebounds, two assists and a steal in the first quarter. He came into the game averaging 30 points on 67% shooting in the series.
After building a small lead with Embiid, the 76ers were outscored by 15 points in the second and third quarters.
“Once Jo came out, we weren’t moving the ball as well,” said 76ers guard Ben Simmons, who had just three assists. “We didn’t get enough easy looks.”
Without Embiid in the middle, the Wizards put up 48 points in the paint, with centers Daniel Gafford and Lopez combing for 28 points.
“We’re going to need him to be the last team standing, to win,” 76ers guard Danny Green said. “It doesn’t mean we can’t win the next game without him.”
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