If you are a fan of Philadelphia 76ers basketball, it may be a good idea to stand very close to the “panic” button.
After the team was dominated by the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-94 on Wednesday night, the Sixers also lost their All-Star center Joel Embiid to an injury.
After a collision in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game, Embiid got up holding his shoulder while grimacing. Embiid would try to tough it out, but after missing two free throws, he was ushered off the court by Sixers staff to the locker room.
Embiid would return to the Philadelphia bench but was ruled out for the rest of the contest. The Cavaliers would not let off the gas for the rest of the night, being up as much as 21 points in the third quarter.
Without Embiid or Simmons, the Sixers lack somebody to turn to in isolation play situations and are not comfortable with moving the ball to create the necessary spacing. Philadelphia was able to get within five points at the start of the fourth quarter but only kept it close for a brief second before Cleveland ran the lead back to 14 to close out the night.
For Philadelphia, this could not be worse timing. After learning earlier this week that they would be without starting point guard Ben Simmons (Back) for the foreseeable future, losing Embiid would put this team in a very peculiar spot for the upcoming schedule.
After returning home to play the Knicks Thursday night, Philly will be starting a four-game road trip in Los Angeles starting on the first of March. Philadelphia has already struggled mightily on the road, posting a 9-21 record away from home.
The severity of Embiid’s injury has not yet been public, although it is expected he will miss at least a game or two. If Philadelphia is without him and Simmons for too long, it could push the team to the fringe of playoff contention.
