Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid wasn’t going to let a stumble before the game stop him from playing against the rival Boston Celtics in one of the NBA’s top games.
Embiid tripped over a barrier meant to keep fans away from the players during pregame warmups, causing him to fall and twist his right ankle. He took some time to get back on the court before the game started, but he played 31 minutes, scoring 27 points and grabbing nine rebounds in the 76ers’ 118-114 win over the defending NBA champions.
“It was a little sore, but it was Christmas,” Embiid said after icing both of his ankles in tubs in the locker room. “I’ve got to play on Christmas.”
Embiid was shooting near the sideline about 45 minutes before the game began when he backed into the security barrier and fell to the floor. He grabbed his right ankle and stayed on the court for a moment before walking off to the locker room.
When the 76ers returned to the court for a quick shooting session before the game, Embiid was a bit late to join them. He came out, warmed up like usual, and then took the opening tip against Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis.
Embiid had 18 points and six rebounds in the first half. He finished the game shooting 4 of 5 from three-point range. In the final minutes, he made four free throws to seal the win, including two after he limped from a drive to the basket with 2:09 left, and the 76ers were up by three.
“It was the other (ankle),” Embiid said with a shrug. “My luck.”
A two-time NBA scoring champion, Embiid is averaging 21.3 points and seven rebounds per game this season, which is below his career averages. He has missed all but nine games due to left knee soreness, a sinus fracture, and a three-game suspension for an incident with a reporter in the locker room.
“You can’t feel bad about yourself,” he said. “Life is life; it happens. You do whatever is necessary to get better and get back on the floor. But it is tough. But, you know, what can you do? Some of them are unfortunate so you’ve just got to deal with it and you know take it in and get better.”
Embiid wore a mask while playing in just his third game since the sinus fracture. He was ejected from his previous game, on Monday against San Antonio, after getting his second technical foul in the second quarter for arguing with referee Jenna Schroeder.
