76ers' Joel Embiid to miss Game 4 despite avoiding kick suspension

Embiid won't suit up for Game 4, but the injury shouldn't keep him out longer than next week -- assuming a clean recovery -- and likely won't impact the Sixers (who are sitting on the doorstep of a sweep) to a tangible degree.

"If the Sixers can get past the Nets here, there's optimism that Embiid would not miss time in the next round," Wojnarowski said. 

After a nasty Game 3 filled with technical fouls and ejections, it is no surprise that a casualty emerged. The Nets and Sixers played physically on Thursday, leading to Embiid's incident with Claxton, who stepped over a fallen Embiid after throwing down an alley-oop.

Embiid proceeded to kick at the Nets center, receiving a Flagrant-1 foul from officials. Later in the game, Sixers point guard James Harden got the boot after officials ruled he made "excessive" contact to the groin of Royce O'Neale. 

Game 4 will undoubtedly feature more of the rough stuff, but Philly will have to go it without Embiid, opening the door -- ever so slightly -- for the Nets to crawl back into the series.

Embiid's absence figures to go down as some backdoor load management when all is said and done, because barring a miracle, the 76ers are unlikely to blow a 3-0 series lead, with or without their star center.