Joel Embiid's appearance on the court has been a well-received sight for Philly fans to say the least, but a tough loss to the Houston Rockets wasn't the worst outcome from Wednesday night's game, but a terrible thud at the Wells Fargo Center after Embiid's 280-pound frame hit the hardwood after trying to block a James Harden layup in the fourth quarter.
Embiid was called for goaltending, but more concerning was the gasp of momentary horror by the home fans, hoping this wasn't about to be yet another long-term injury for the 7-footer.
The big man sat out his first two seasons with multiple injuries and the latter half of last season after playing limited minutes on 31 appearances with the Sixers.
“The thud is still in my ears,” head coach Brett Brown said. “But he’s OK.”
“I’m at a stage where I’m just so numb to it all, and I mean that. I can tell you that your heart’s sort of in your sleeve, that’s kind of true. But you just get through it and hope he stands up and moves on.”
John Geliebter/USA TODAY Sports
Even his teammates noted it was a scary moment, but ultimately Embiid is trying to win, first and foremost — and that involves making risky plays.
“I think me and about 20,000 people held their breaths for a little bit,” point guard T.J. McConnell said.
Embiid's well-rounded arsenal is one most centers in the league will envy, but it can only flourish as long as he stays on the floor, making this a hard balance to keep when taking the court.
“Even though he makes those high-risk plays, his mindset is, ‘I’m not worrying about or thinking about what can possibly come,’” shooting guard Justin Anderson said. “What do you tell him? Don’t go hard? Don’t make plays like that? He wanted to make a winning play for us. … He’s more durable than a lot of people think.”
About the Author
Bruno Manrique is a former associate editor at ClutchPoints, primarily covering the NBA. More about Bruno Manrique
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