CLEVELAND — Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid left Wednesday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first quarter and was ruled out with a left shoulder sprain.
Embiid will have an MRI on Thursday, he told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Sixers coach Brett Brown said he was “unsure” whether Embiid would play in Thursday’s home game against the New York Knicks.
“I’m really sort of a prisoner to the medical people’s information,” Brown said after the Sixers’ 108-94 road loss to the Cavaliers. “I haven’t checked in. I just left the team. I’m unsure, I really am unsure.”
Philadelphia was also playing without All-Star guard Ben Simmons, who missed his second straight game because of a nerve impingement in his lower back.
“I feel like when you don’t have Joel and you don’t have Ben, it’s an opportunity for others to put their hand up and declare this is who we are. It is who we are,” Brown said. “I felt from that physical standpoint we were C-minus.”
Embiid appeared to collide with Cavaliers center Ante Zizic while being fouled late in the first quarter. The 7-footer held his shoulder when he went to the foul line and was in obvious pain as he missed two free throws.
He was removed at the next time stoppage and walked to the locker room. He briefly returned to the bench in the second quarter but then went back to the locker room.
Embiid, who scored a career-high 49 points Monday against Atlanta, is averaging 23.8 points and 12 rebounds.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
