Joel Embiid will be out for approximately a week after sustaining a shoulder injury but has avoided any "major structural damage".
The Philadelphia 76ers had initially feared the worst after the Cameroonian was injured in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, after colliding with Ante Zizic.
Embiid sat out his team's 115-106 home win on Thursday night against the New York Knicks, but Sixers coach Brett Brown confirmed the injury wasn't as serious as feared as X-rays on the shoulder showed no sign of fracture.
"The fact that there is no structural damage we all hear loudly," Brown said in his press conference on Thursday, following the win over the Knicks.
"Maybe it's a simple as that in some ways. Of course, it's as much from the personal standpoint as it is a selfish coach, he's looking forward to this run home, this final third, this responsibility, no Ben [Simmons] for how long we'll all figure out in time.
"To learn that from him and his perspective, from the team perspective that is exciting news."
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Embiid is expected to be out for at least a week but will travel with the team to California, as the Sixers embark on a four-game road trip.
Philadelphia plays two games in Los Angeles starting with the Clippers on Sunday, before facing the Lakers on Tuesday. The Sixers will then take on the Sacramento Kings on Thursday and the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, before returning to Pennsylvania.
The game against the Knicks was the 17th time Embiid has been forced to miss through injury or suspension this season and as Brown alluded his absence was exacerbated by the fact Simmons was also missing.
The Sixers guard has been out for the last three games after sustaining a back injury in practice and is expected to miss at least two weeks.
The Australian averages 16.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists this season, while Embiid is averaging 23.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists and Brown admitted their absences had been sorely felt.
"It's a painfully obvious bind," Brown said ahead of the game against the Knicks. "We're missing two All-Stars. You yank that from the team and it's painful."
Tobias Harris finished with 34 points on Thursday night, while Shake Milton and Al Horford added 19 points and 15 points respectively.
The win over the Knicks improved the Sixers record for the season to 37-23 and they remain fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, 1.5 games ahead of the sixth-placed Indiana Pacers.
While Philadelphia as a league-best 28-2 record at home, it has won just nine of the 30 games it has played on the road.
FiveThirtyEight projects the Sixers will finish the season with 51 wins and 31 losses, which would match their record from last year. Philadelphia has fallen in the conference semifinals in both of the last two seasons and FiveThirtyEight gives the Sixers a 22 percent chance of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2001.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he was a news and business reporter at International Business Times UK. Dan has also written for The Guardian and The Observer.
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