PHILADELPHIA — Those tasked with mopping the sweat off the floor under the Wells Fargo Center baskets must always be on high alert for when a player hits the deck or possession shifts from one end of the court to the other. But during Game 3 of the 76ers’ Eastern Conference semifinal against the Miami Heat, the young ladies posted up along each baseline took on an additional duty.
Any time Joel Embiid removed his mask during a stoppage in play, they were ready to toss him a towel to wipe his face and the inside of the device.
That dark gray contraption was a stark physical reminder that Embiid played Friday night with a literal broken face — more specifically, an orbital fracture near his right eyeball sustained eight days prior — while totaling 18 points and 11 rebounds in the Sixers’ 99-79 victory to close their best-of-seven series deficit to 2-1. And the Sixers’ MVP finalist, who missed Games 1 and 2 against the Heat, brushed off any discomfort the protective mask potentially caused in his return.
