Joel Embiid made all Philadelphia 76ers fans hold their breath last night.
The Philadelphia 76ers have won three straight, advancing to 28-25 on the season. Their win over the L.A. Clippers on Saturday night had plenty of positives as well, with Joel Embiid going for 29 points and 16 rebounds in his second back-to-back appearance.
It wasn’t all smiles, though, as Embiid gave everybody his biggest injury scare of the season. With 7:39 left in the fourth quarter, his 7-foot-2 frame tumbled to the floor, with his knee flexing awkwardly in the process. He would limp back to the bench before eventually walking back to the locker room.
Even in what was a close game at the time, the Sixers’ decision to put Embiid back in the game was somewhat surprising. He trotted back out to the bench and was put in the game at the next timeout, something even Brett Brown was surprised by.
Considering his injury history, why was he cleared to return?
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The Sixers’ medical staff didn’t conduct any X-rays, but they did test his motion. After last season, when Embiid played an entire game on a torn meniscus, there’s really no reason to not take the cautious approach here.
Embiid is still new to back-to-backs, and he looked fatiqued prior to the tumble. He took a number of hard falls all night, and even flew into the Sixers’ bench after running out to contest a shot on the perimeter. It was eerily reminiscent of last season.
After the game, Embiid said there was nothing wrong and urged people to stop worrying about his knee. Given the medical team’s willingness to put him back in the game, hopefully this really was a non-issue.
Still, the Sixers’ need to be playing the long game. Every fan is hoping for a playoff appearance this season, but that’s a secondary goal behind preserving Embiid’s long-term health. Jo figures to be the backbone of any extended success the Sixers have in the coming years.
There is no way Embiid should have been back on the floor last night. Even if your normal, everyday NBA player would have been cleared, Embiid is a special case. He wants to play as much as possible, but making sure he doesn’t push himself too far is imperative.
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As we’ve seen with DeMarcus Cousins and Kristaps Porzingis, big men playing extended minutes are at an inherent disadvantage when it comes to the injury bug. We’ll see if Joel suits up for Monday night’s game against the New York Knicks.