Joel Embiid Needs Surgery For Torn Thumb Ligament

Joel Embiid has been playing excellent basketball for the Philadelphia 76ers. The regular season NBA scoring leader has been doing it despite a great deal of discomfort. Joel dropped 21 points and pulled down eight rebounds in Philly’s game four loss to the Toronto Raptors. All of that came while Embiid was playing through a painful injury.

After the game, Joel discussed his injured thumb. A ligament is torn, and Embiid will require surgery to repair it. Since the damage is already done and an NBA title is on the line, Joel Embiid is sticking it out until the playoffs come to an end, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Sixers coach Doc Rivers told reporters on Sunday that Joel Embiid will need an operation to fix the thumb. An MRI was taken on Sunday that confirmed the ligament was torn. The injury is incredibly painful, but Rivers said it is unlikely to get worse.

“I think we already know what it is, to be honest, but we just got to make sure. The only thing we know is it can’t get worse.”

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Joel Embiid is the key to Philadelphia’s title chase. He averaged a double-double a game during the regular season, contributing 30.6 points and 11.7 rebounds. The team would be hopeless if not for Embiid.

Embiid is fortunate that the injury is such that he can continue playing. It hasn’t slowed him down in the postseason. His productivity has increased, as he is averaging 31.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists during the playoffs. Joel Embiid’s gritty effort may well lead Philly to an NBA championship.

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