Joel Embiid suffered a sinus fracture during the Philadelphia 76ers’ matchup with the Indiana Pacers on Friday, the team announced. He will be evaluated further over the weekend.
The Pacers eventually won the game, 121-107, but most questions concerned Embiid’s condition immediately afterward.
Embiid was injured during Indiana’s final possession of the first half. With 18.4 seconds remaining, Tyrese Haliburton missed a layup and Bennedict Mathurin jumped into the lane for an offensive rebound. As he landed on the court, Mathurin’s left arm hit Embiid on the right side of his face.
Joel Embiid got up and walked to the locker room with a few seconds left to play in the first half, was hit in the face by the arm of Bennedict Mathurin here. pic.twitter.com/2gLajNwgny
— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) December 14, 2024
Embiid fell to the floor as play continued down the court and a trainer came out to check on him. He remained lying down, clearly concerned about the area around his eye. Embiid has previously sustained orbital bone fractures in both the left and right side of his face. (He suffered the right-side fracture and a concussion in 2022 after being hit by Pascal Siakam’s elbow.)
So it seems understandable that Embiid would immediately be concerned by any hard impact to that area of his face. Trainer Kevin Johnson also appeared to be checking for any sort of eye injury, in addition to signs of a fracture.
The Sixers center did not return after halftime, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds and five assists in 17 minutes of play. Following the game, Sixers coach Nick Nurse told reporters that Embiid was being tested for possible fractures in his facial area.
Embiid has played in only six of Philadelphia’s 23 games this season due to left knee management, suspension and personal reasons. He’s averaging 20.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points, shooting 3 for 5 on 3-pointers. Paul George added 15 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks as the Sixers dropped to 7-16 for the season. Philadelphia is off until Monday (playing two games in the next seven days) and updates should be available on Embiid’s status by then.
Haliburton led all scorers with 32 points and 11 assists, followed by Siakam’s 23 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Obi Toppin contributed 20 points and eight rebounds off the Pacers’ bench. Indiana improved to 11-15 and hosts the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.