WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid suffered a left eye orbital fracture when he collided with a teammate and will require surgery, the NBA team said Thursday.
Embiid was hurt when teammate Markelle Fultz accidentally drove his right shoulder into his face in the first half of Philadelphia’s win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
Initially diagnosed with a facial contusion, Embiid left the game and didn’t return. He was later hospitalized and the Sixers said a CT scan revealed the broken eye socket bone.
Embiid, who passed initial concussion tests in the locker room, has also been diagnosed with a concussion after symptoms developed.
A big hint that the injury was serious had come Wednesday night when Embiid posts a brief video of himself in hospital on Instagram captioned “Not Good”.
“Surgery will be performed in the coming days to address the orbital fracture and further updates will be provided as appropriate,” the 76ers said in a statement.
The 76ers were scheduled to travel to Atlanta on Thursday for a Friday game against the Hawks. They face the Hornets in Charlotte on Sunday.
Embiid is averaging 22.9 points, 11 rebounds, and 1.8 blocked shots and has been a key factor in putting the Sixers back in the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.
The 24-year-old from Cameroon was taken third overall in the 2014 draft but missed two full seasons as a result of two-foot surgeries before he could get his NBA career underway and played just 31 games last season as a knee injury brought his campaign to an early end.
© Agence France-Presse
