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The Philadelphia 76ers were dealt a hard blow to their title hopes on Friday as superstar Joel Embiid is sidelined indefinitely.
Embiid suffered a fractured right eye socket and a minor concussion in Thursday’s Game 6 win against the Toronto Raptors and there is no timetable for his return, according to The Athletic and Stadium Shine Charania.
The tall man appeared to suffer the injury when Raptors veteran Pascal Siakam drove to the hoop and accidentally elbowed him in the face with 3:58 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Embiid’s health became a major storyline for the 76ers in their first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors when it was revealed he had torn ligaments in his thumb, although he decided to play it through and delay a possible surgery.
Health is always a priority for the 28-year-old considering he spent the first two seasons of his NBA career with foot problems and has never played more than 68 games in a single season.
Still, he appeared in a career-best number of games this season as an MVP candidate, trailing the 76ers by averaging 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per game 49.9 percent carried shots from the field and 37.1 percent shot from deep.
Philadelphia is a championship contender when he’s healthy and grounded, but it’s hard to imagine missing those hopes and expectations if he’s sidelined for a long time.
Note that the 76ers may rely on DeAndre Jordan for a few minutes while Embiid is sidelined.