Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will not play Thursday when the Sixers face the Boston Celtics, nursing a dislocated left ring finger, according to Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice.
Embiid hurt his finger during Monday's 120-113 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, colliding with Steven Adams. Yet he was able to return and play out the rest of the game, finishing with 18 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.
[WARNING: Graphic material. Video below is not for the faint of heart.]
Ouch….
Joel Embiid was forced to leave the game after a gruesome finger injury. pic.twitter.com/eMhVCtFCYm
— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) January 7, 2020
The Sixers big looked a bit uncomfortable after returning to play, likely doing so running on adrenaline, which allowed him to finish the game.
His dislocated finger has likely swollen since, making it harder to grip the ball and perform most basketball activities due to the pain and swelling.
However, the Sixers have made it known they plan to manage Embiid's minutes and appearances, making this the perfect opportunity to give him some rest, even if it comes at the cost of a high-profile matchup against the Celtics.
The Sixers recently shook off a four-game skid by beating the Thunder, but have much to prove ahead of the trade deadline, having lost seven of their last 10 games prior to Monday's win.
Philadelphia has won both of their previous outings against Boston, the last of which came with a monster performance from Embiid, who put up 38 points and 13 rebounds in a nationally televised game. The Sixers will have to look for a way to get it done without their best player, hoping he'll be healthy enough to rejoin the team on Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks on the road.
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