Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid caused widespread concern when he went down in pain during the early minutes of a 123-112 win over the Toronto Raptors.
The veteran big man was grabbing his right knee before limping off the floor and heading directly into the locker room, according to reports from Sixers Wire.
Given his history of knee injuries that have previously limited his playing time, the sudden collapse immediately set off alarms for both the coaching staff and his teammates.
Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse admitted that the initial sight of Embiid holding his knee was particularly worrisome for everyone on the bench.
Nurse noted after the matchup, “I thought, just from what I could see from where I was that, it might have been something serious.”
The coach further explained that medical evaluations ultimately revealed the center had simply knocked knees during a minor collision on the court.
Nurse stated, “I guess he just knocked knees and that’s very painful for a bit and they checked him out and he was fine.”
Teammate VJ Edgecombe confessed that seeing Embiid on the floor always triggers negative expectations because he hates witnessing the star center in pain.
Edgecombe shared his perspective by stating, “I don’t like seeing him lay on the floor.”
Despite the initial alarm, Embiid surprised observers by walking out of the locker room and reentering the contest.
Guard Tyrese Maxey, who has been teammates with Embiid the longest, was not overly panicked because he realized immediately that the injury involved a knee-to-knee contact rather than a twist.
Maxey explained the situation by noting, “I knew that he didn’t like twist it or anything.”
Upon his return to the hardwood, Embiid contributed 20 points on 7-for-17 shooting while testing the Raptors defense for significant stretches of the matchup.
Edgecombe praised the star’s resilience and dedication after watching him check back into the game instead of remaining sidelined.
Edgecombe remarked, “He could have just been a guy playing anyway and sit out, but it just shows his heart.”
Nurse ultimately found it difficult to manage Embiid’s minutes because the center remained heavily invested in competing throughout the evening.
Nurse concluded regarding the player’s high energy level, “He was very very motivated to play.”