Less than 10 games to go until the end of this year's NBA season, smoking hot Philadelphia 76ers won 8 games in a row and are currently sitting 4th in the Eastern conference just 0.5 games behind Cleveland Cavaliers. It finally seems that the process has come to the end.
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Two nights ago the Sixers played against the Knicks when Joel Embiid collided with his teammate Markelle Fultz who just returned from a long injury himself. He left the game and did not return but initial report said Joel is OK as x-ray's were negative which was a huge releif to the fans.
However, ESPN's Zach Lowe broke the news yesterday that Joel Embiid could miss 2-4 weeks due to „orbital fracture“ and concussion. That is a standard prognosis for this injury but it can vary.
This news could absolutely suck for Philly because if he misses 4 weeks that means he will miss an entire first round of the playoffs.
We all know how good he is and how crucial he is for his team's success. It seems that Joel Embiid is finally becoming healthy as he started playing big minutes and back-to-back's this season and this injury is just so unfortunate.
In my opinion the Sixers have next to no chance to win a 7 game series withoiut Embiid and let's all hope that he gets well as soon as possibe. If he gets back and if he is100% ready to play, Philly might make some noise in the Eastern conference, especially if they manage to grab that 3rd seed.
Tell me what are your first thoughts on Embiid's injury and can the Philadelphia 76ers win the first round of the playoffs if Embiid doesn't return by then?