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76ers confirm Joel Embiid has torn thumb ligament, center plans to keep playing

Here’s the outlook for Embiid as the 76ers look set to make the second round.

Philadelphia 76ers v Toronto Raptors - Game Three
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers holds his thumb in the second half of Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on April 20, 2022 in Toronto, Canada.
Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images

The Philadelphia 76ers are on the cusp of making the second round of the 2022 playoffs with a 3-0 over the Toronto Raptors heading into Saturday’s Game 4. A big reason for that lead is center Joel Embiid, who was the MVP frontrunner for much of the season according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Embiid has had injury issues in the past and now, the 76ers center has another problem to deal with.

Joel Embiid injury updates

April 24 update: The 76ers confirm Embiid has a torn thumb ligament, but the center plans to play through the issue.


Embiid is believed to have suffered a torn ligament in his thumb, per Shams Charania. This doesn’t rule the 76ers center out of any games as he’ll play through the issue, but there will be some pain for Embiid going forward.

The big man is averaging 27.7 points and 13.0 rebounds per game in this first round series, highlighted by a game-winning three-pointer in overtime to lift the 76ers to a 3-0 lead.