Joel Embiid Feared To Have Suffered Thumb Injury

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is feared to have suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

There is fear that Philadelphia 76ers All-NBA star Joel Embiid has a torn ligament in his right thumb, but Embiid has vowed to continue playing through the injury, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Embiid will rely on his pain tolerance and 76ers‘ medical staff.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 22, 2022

Embiid doesn't know when he specifically suffered the injury. But he reportedly felt discomfort in his thumb after Philly's epic Game 3 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, as reported by ESPN. He also reportedly went through practice on Friday.

Despite the pain, Embiid plans to play this Saturday for Game 4.

Regardless of the All-NBA center's intentions, this has to be concerning for Sixers fans. While Embiid will still be available, dealing with an injury, particularly with his shooting hand, isn't ideal for Philadelphia in their bid to compete for a championship this season.

Embiid scored 33 points to go along with 13 rebounds in the 104-101 victory. More importantly, he swished the game-winning three-pointer with 0.9 seconds remaining to sink the hearts of Raptors fans at Scotiabank Arena.

Philadelphia could ideally exercise caution by holding out Embiid, given that they are in a comfortable 3-0 advantage in their first round series. But it seems like the 5-time All-Star will test out the thumb before making any decisions on whether he'll give it a rest.

The Sixers have a chance to sweep the Raptors on Saturday in Game 4.