Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown showed his appreciation to Joel Embiid after the Sixers big man suffered a nasty dislocation of the ring finger on his left hand against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
According to Derek Bodner of The Athletic, Brown was surprised that the 7-footer returned to play despite the excruciating injury.
“I was shocked that he was able to come back out and play,” Brown said of Embiid after the game. “That is a tough return to the court. That is a competitive statement, and I appreciate him. I respect that, and we needed to play well here at home. We haven’t been on the right side of the win-loss column lately, and I respect his motives to come back.”
Surprisingly, Embiid returned at the start of the second quarter and continued to guard Steven Adams. The injury prevented the Sixers center from playing at a dominant force as he struggled to guard Adams. Embiid finished off the night with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists in 32 minutes. The Sixers also secured the win as they snapped their three-game losing streak.
Joel Embiid will be questionable to play in the Sixers' Wednesday night ultimate showdown with the Boston Celtics. The Sixers will most certainly need Embiid in the lineup as they face one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Having Embiid in the lineup with be a focal point in tomorrow's game. The Sixers are currently the fifth seed as they trail the second-seeded Celtics by three games and look to move up the standings.
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