The health of Joel Embiid is once again a major talking point in the playoffs for the Philadelphia 76ers. The superstar center is fighting as best he can against a physical Knicks team after working his way back from a left meniscus injury and aggravating his knee in Game 1. But it seems like Embiid is also dealing with an eye issue, though nothing about that has been made official.
Embiid has seemingly been unable to blink his left eye throughout the first two games of the Sixers-Knicks series. The cause of his apparent issue stems from an incident early in Game 1 when Kelly Oubre Jr. inadvertently hit him in the face as he jumped for a rebound. The big man held his face as he went back to the locker room to get checked out. He eventually returned but throughout the series seems incapable of blinking his left eye.
Adding to the speculation about Embiid’s eye is how frequently he has been seen wearing sunglasses indoors. When he arrived at Madison Square Garden for Game 2, got ready for the pregame shootaround and walked around the locker room, he was seen in a pair of shades. He also spoke to the media at his locker after Game 2 with his head facing the ground.
Asked about Embiid’s eye after the 76ers’ practice on Wednesday, Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse said that he is “feeling okay.” He dismissed Embiid having an eye problem the day before Game 2, as well. As of now, whatever Embiid’s eye is dealing with does not seem to be a factor in the big man’s availability for the rest of the series.
On the NBA injury report, the 76ers have listed Embiid as questionable for both games with the listing of “left knee injury recovery.” He has yet to be listed with an eye injury (and players can be listed for multiple reasons at the same time).
Embiid has dealt with facial injuries before, suffering a fracture to his right orbital bone during the 2022 playoffs, which cost him a pair of second-round games. He injured his left orbital bone in March of 2018, costing him the final eight regular-season games and the first two playoff games that year.
The 76ers will continue to help Embiid stay as healthy as possible as the team gears up for Game 3. Tip-off on Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center is scheduled for 7:30 PM EST.
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