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The Philadelphia 76ers have dealt a heavy blow to their hopes for the title on Friday, as superstar Joel Embiid will be removed indefinitely.
Embiid suffered a fractured right orbit and a slight concussion in Thursday’s 6-game victory over the Toronto Raptors, and there is no schedule for his return, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
The big man seems to have been injured when Raptors veteran Pascal Siakam headed for the hoop and inadvertently hit him in the face with nail polish for the remaining 3:58 in the fourth quarter.
Embid’s health became the main storyline for the 76ers in their first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors when it was revealed that he had a torn ligament in his thumb, although he chose to play through it and postpone any potential surgery. .
Health is always at the forefront when it comes to the 28-year-old, given that he spent the first two seasons of his NBA career with foot problems and has never played more than 68 games in a single campaign.
However, he appeared in the best number of games of his career this season as an MVP candidate who carried the 76ers, while averaging 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals. balls per game behind 49.9 percent of field shots and 37.1 percent of depth shots.
Philadelphia is a contender for the championship when he is healthy and on the floor, but it is difficult to imagine that he will fulfill these hopes and expectations if he is away for a long time.
Look for 76ers you can count on DeAndre Jordan for a few minutes while Embiid is aside.
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