Joel Embiid Has Injury Scare In Philadelphia 76ers Game With Utah Jazz

Joel Embiid got off to a roaring start on Thursday night. The Philadelphia 76ers big man had dropped 11 points on 5 of 7 shooting when he began to wince and clutch at his abdomen. Embiid left the game to get checked out in the locker room as he pointed at his apparently injured chest.

The Jazz were up by 12 when Embiid left the court. It was a tense moment for Philadelphia fans. Eventually, Joel did return to the game later in the fourth quarter. He finished up with 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block.

It wasn’t enough to overcome the Jazz, however. Utah won the game 118-96. The loss dropped the Sixers to 14-12 on the season.

After the game, Embiid didn’t comment on the nature of his injury. He said he thought it was a cramp at first. After he began having difficulty breathing, he decided to get it checked out.

Joel Embiid is averaging an impressive double double per game with 24.1 points and 10.9 rebounds. Philly takes on the Golden State Warriors at home on Saturday. The team will try to stay in playoff contention with a victory.

The Utah Jazz are having a fantastic season so far. They’re in 3rd place in the west. Their 18-7 record puts them comfortably ahead of the Vancouver Grizzlies (15-11) in the race for playoff seeding. It’s still early in the season, though, and anything could happen.

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