Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid sustained an apparent knee injury after falling awkwardly following a dunk.

Midway through the third quarter of the Sixers' showdown with the Washington Wizards, Embiid received a pass near the rim and decided to throw down another dunk against. Garrison Matthews tried to stop the Sixers center, who still made the slam but twisted awkwardly while falling after the hit.

Embiid's left knee buckled after the fall as he writhed in pain.

The Sixers All-Star was eventually able to get up on his own, but there is a noticeable limp as he headed to the locker room.

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According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Joel Embiid will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of his injury. Initial diagnosis on the big man reportedly reveal a hyperextended knee.

JoJo has also been officially ruled out for the rest of the game.

It is indeed a sour ending for the Sixers star, who got off to a hot start for Philly in his first game back after the All-Star break. Embiid scored 23 points and had seven rebounds and three assists before sustaining the injury.

Hopefully Embiid's injury is not that severe and he'll be able to return sooner. He is on the midst of an MVP-caliber campaign, so a potential long absence could put a damper on what has been  a really brilliant campaign.

The Sixers also most certainly need Embiid to be healthy and at his best come playoff time, especially if they want to compete for the NBA Finals title.