Joel Embiid won’t return in Game 6 due to right knee soreness originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Philadelphia star center Joel Embiid won’t return in the second half of Game 4 against the Wizards in the first round of the NBA playoffs on Monday.
Embiid hit the floor hard after attacking the rim with some force, but Washington center Robin Lopez stood tall to his steam-rolling effort and blocked his shot before Embiid was sent backward to the ground, awkwardly bending his right knee in the process.
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The 7-foot-2 generational talent is no stranger to hitting the court in a heap, so this might very well be precautionary from the 76ers as they look to complete the 4-0 sweep of Washington.
Lopez benefitted after his absence, cleaning the glass and hitting hook shots for 14 points on 7-of-8 from the field in the opening half.
Embiid missed the first two seasons of his NBA career due to foot surgeries and missed the last quarter of his debut season with a left knee meniscus injury. Embiid hyperextended that left knee in March in a scary landing after a dunk against the Wizards but had since recovered.
With the once-frontrunner of this season’s MVP out, the Wizards will look to extend the series to a fifth game.