76ers center Joel Embiid. (Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid had to leave Game 4 against the Wizards with an injury after falling hard on his back.
Fans of the 76ers may need to start holding their breath and crossing their fingers over Joel Embiid.
Embiid headed to the locker room in the first quarter against Washington on Monday and he was still absent when the second quarter began and it was later announced he would not return.
It wasn’t immediately clear how serious the problem was, but it looked concerning enough.
Embiid appeared to hurt his back when Robin Lopez denied a dunk attempt at the rim. The center landed hard on his tailbone and held his back as he got up slowly.
It could be a bruise, but it could also be something much bigger than that.
Joel Embiid has been key for the 76ers playoff success so far
The 76ers hold a 3-0 series lead over the Wizards, so Philadelphia isn’t in danger of getting into too much trouble without Embiid in the short term. They were hoping to close out the series with a sweep and that plan might be complicated without their star center. It might be better in the long run not to force him back in too quickly if he is feeling something after that fall.
Getting by Washington would still be likely. However, the ceiling for the team would be severely limited if any sort of injury kept Embiid out in the next series.
Embiid had eight points and six rebounds in 11 minutes against the Wizards before his injury.
He’s had an outstanding series up to this point. He had 30 points in Game 1, 22 points in Game 2 and a playoff-career-high 36 points in Game 3. His playoff performance has brightened the playoff expectations for the team.
Since everything hinges on Embiid, fans wait with bated breath to hear an injury update from Philadelphia.