Joel Embiid looked like he was on his way to another NBA Most Valuable Player award. But now the Philadelphia 76ers star might not get that opportunity.
The 76ers’ worst fears were realized Thursday when a team official said Embiid suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, an MRI revealed the injury, which will at least keep Joel Embiid out through the weekend so that a treatment plan can be determined. The severity of the tear is unknown.
The 76ers center, the NBA’s leading scorer at 35.3 points per game, left Tuesday’s game against Golden State in the fourth quarter the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga fell on his leg while going after a loose ball.
Before that, however, Embiid aggravated his left knee, which has been an ongoing problem, during last Thursday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers.
The 76ers, who didn’t like how he looked during warmups Saturday, were fined $75,000 for an injury report violation for leaving him off the injury report before the game, which they lost to Denver. He missed Monday’s game at Portland as well, before returning Tuesday.
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The 76ers, currently fifth in the Eastern Conference, have lost four straight heading into Thursday’s game at Utah, which will be the 13th game that Embiid has missed this season.
With the latest injury diagnosis, he’s at risk of not qualifying for the league’s postseason awards, such as MVP and all-NBA, if he misses four more games.
In addition to his league-high scoring numbers, Embiid, who scored 70 points against the San Antonio Spurs last week, is averaging 11.3 rebounds per game and 5.7 assists.
The injury will likely cost Embiid a trip to the All-Star Game in Indianapolis, where he was set to start.