Joel Embiid leaves game vs. Wizards with scary knee injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
After Joel Embiid threw down a thunderous one-handed dunk against the Wizards Friday night, the Sixers big man landed awkwardly and appeared to hyperextend his left knee.
Embiid stayed down on the ground for a few minutes in a lot of pain after the scary injury, but was eventually able to get up and walk off the floor under his own power.
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Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Embiid will undergo an MRI on his left knee.
The severity of the injury is unknown, and it's one that will weigh heavily on the Sixers in the immediate future. Embiid is in the midst of a career season, averaging over 30 points and 11 rebounds coming out of the All-Star break. To most, the big man had become the consensus favorite for the MVP award.
Following a dreadful season a year ago that ended in a first-round sweep at the hands of the Celtics, the Sixers had worked their way to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, due in large part to Embiid's leap as an all-around player.
Philadelphia was without Ben Simmons for Friday night's game as well, as the forward wasn't able to play due to COVID-19 contact tracing. Simmons and Embiid came into contact with a positive case over the break and were forced to miss the All-Star game on Sunday.
