PHILADELPHIA — Sixers MVP finalist Joel Embiid suffered a right orbital fracture and a mild concussion in Thursday’s Game 6, series-clinching victory at the Toronto Raptors, the team confirmed Friday night. He is out indefinitely and further updates will be provided as appropriate, the team said.
The injury — which occurred when the Raptors’ Pascal Siakam inadvertently elbowed Embiid in the face while driving to the basket late in Thursday’s fourth quarter, a source confirmed Friday night — is a huge blow to the Sixers’ chances to advance past the top-seeded Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals. That best-of-seven series begins Monday night in Miami.
Recovery time for an orbital fracture is typically dependent on if surgery is required and other factors such as the bones involved, possible displacement and any soft tissue or eye damage, per Jeff Stotts, a certified athletic trainer who tracks sports injuries through a website called In Street Clothes. Embiid suffered the same injury to the opposite eye during the 2017-18 season, undergoing surgery and missing 10 games over 22 days.
