Joel Embiid injury update: 76ers star says bad thumb shouldn’t stop him from playing, will have MRI Sunday

Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid is experiencing pain and discomfort in his right thumb, and the fear is that Embiid is dealing with torn ligaments, according to ESPN. Embiid played in Game 4 of Philadelphia’s first-round series against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday afternoon, which they lost 110-102. Afterward, Embiid said he’ll get an MRI on Sunday as the teams tries to determine the severity of the injury.

Doc Rivers says “there’s concern” about the injury. 

“I think we already know what it is to be honest, but we just have to make sure,” Rivers said. “We feel like it’s not a great injury. I’m just going to leave it at that.” 

Embiid scored 21 points in Game 4, but struggled (7 of 16) from the field. He says he should be able to play through the pain and discomfort throughout the postseason, and if thumb surgery is needed, Embiid says he’ll do it once the playoffs are over.

Embiid has a lengthy history of injuries in the postseason. Though he missed only one game because of it, a knee injury hampered him during the 2021 playoffs. He similarly struggled to stay on the floor during the 2019 postseason, and he missed the first two seasons of his career due to injury issues. While Embiid is perhaps the best player in the NBA when healthy, durability has always been a major concern regarding him. 

If the Sixers take care of business against the Raptors in Game 5 on Monday night, Embiid could potentially get some time to rest before the second round starts. The 76ers obviously need Embiid to be close to 100 percent if they plan to seriously compete for the championship this season.