Sad News: 76ers key man send message to fans he will not be back;he suffer left knee Surgery

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has an injured lateral meniscus in his left knee and will miss games at least through the weekend.

Embiid was already set to sit out Thursday night at Utah and will now also miss a game Saturday against Brooklyn.

Embiid hurt his left knee Tuesday night in a loss to the Golden State Warriors. He underwent an MRI that revealed the injury. The 76ers are still finalizing a treatment plan.

Embiid was hurt after Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga fell on the 7-footer’s left leg.

This game marked Embiid’s return to action after an issue with his left knee prevented him from playing Saturday at Denver – scrapping a highly anticipated matchup with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic – and Monday at Portland.

Embiid already has missed 12 games this season, jeopardizing his chances of being eligible for a second straight MVP award. The new collective bargaining agreement requires players, in most instances, to play in 65 regular-season games to be eligible for awards such as MVP or the All-NBA teams.

When healthy, Embiid has continued to perform at an MVP level. He is the NBA’s leading scorer at 35.3 points per game and is averaging 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists. He scored a franchise-record 70 points to go along with 18 rebounds on Jan. 22 in a 133-124 victory over San Antonio.

Earlier Thursday, the 76ers were handed a $75,000 fine for failing to include Embiid on their injury report “in an accurate and timely manner” before their Saturday game at Denver.

Embiid hadn’t been included on the 76ers’ injury report Saturday, but the reigning MVP was scratched

Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II broke his nose recently and will undergo surgery to reset it on Monday, causing him to miss at least an upcoming game against the Sixers.

DALLAS — During the Dallas Mavericks’ 131-129 win over the Orlando Magic on Monday, Dereck Lively II was struck in the face by Wendell Carter Jr., resulting in a broken nose. He finished the game, recording 20 points and 11 rebounds, but will soon need surgery to “reset” his nose.

Lively practiced with the team on Friday, trying out a mask to see what it’d be like, but admitted there is still an ongoing process regarding handling it. He did confirm to reporters that a procedure is scheduled for Monday in Dallas.

“Today, I gave a shot at being able to wear the mask, try to adjust it, and feel like it was going to be on the court,” Lively said. “We’re still going to try to be able to figure out what I’m going to be doing moving forward. But to say this now, I will have a procedure on Monday to reset my nose since it is broken.”

After attempting the mask, Lively made clear that he’s not a fan of it, but understands the importance of testing the limits with it and gaining a comfort level if needed. He was initially listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, but was later downgraded to doubtful.

“Playing with a mask, I wouldn’t wish that upon my worst enemy, but you have to go through the highs and lows and work through it,” Lively said.

As a result of undergoing surgery on Monday, Lively will naturally miss the team’s road matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. It was set to be his first time playing in his hometown in front of family and friends.

“There were definitely a lot of people that I had,’ Lively said. “A lot of family was gonna come out and support, but I hope that my team goes out there and plays together well and just develops the trust that we wanna continue to build.”

Looking ahead, Lively will soon represent the Mavs at the Rising Stars Challenge at 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend. He’s the first member of the organization to be selected for this event since Luka Doncic during his first two NBA season. Lively is grateful to be selected and is excited for the moment.

“But you got to be able to be grateful,” Lively said. “To be given this chance is amazing. At the beginning of the season, if you told me I’d be able to get this far – no way, I wouldn’t have imagined it. So just being able to know I’m going to this game, I’m excited to be part of the atmosphere and getting to know everybody.”

“I’m just grateful for people to acknowledge me. I’m just going there to meet everybody. I wouldn’t say there’s one person I’m going there to look for.”

Lively has had the opportunity to speak with Doncic about the experience of the Rising Stars Challenge. His teammate explained the importance of having fun.

“I’ve only been able to pick the brain of Luka,” Lively said. “And he just said go out there and have a great time. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Just enjoy yourself and have fun.”

Sad News: 76ers key man send message to fans he will not be back;he suffer left knee Surgery

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Related News

You may have missed