Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid has been on the receiving end of some bad luck thus far in the NBA Playoffs.
He missed the first two games of Philadelphia’s Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Miami Heat with an orbital fracture after getting elbowed in the face by Pascal Siakam in the 76ers’ series-clinching Game 6 win over the Toronto Raptors in Round 1.
After returning in Game 3 and helping the Sixers to two wins to even the series , Embiid is now in more pain after yet another incident in Game 5.
During the second quarter against the Heat Tuesday evening, Embiid was hit in the same area of his facial fracture and went down in a heap of pain. It’s not fun to look at.
After being down on the hardwood for some time, Embiid made his way to the Philadelphia bench to get checked out for a bit before remaining in the game. He also had some words for official Kane Fitzgerald before 76ers head coach Doc Rivers was given a technical.
Looking at the replay, it doesn’t seem like Heat reserve center Dewayne Dedmon had any malicious intent here. But given what we’ve seen thus far in the NBA Playoffs, that likely doesn’t mean much when it comes to how chippy this series is going to get from here on out.
It goes without saying that Embiid is vital to Philadelphia’s chances against the top-seeded Heat. With the series tied at two, this Game 5 outing is absolutely crucial.
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