MRI confirms ligament tear in Joel Embiid's right thumb

Tim Bontemps: Doc Rivers says Joel Embiid’s MRI confirmed the ligament tear in his right thumb but that nothing changes in terms of Embiid’s availability or treatment.
Source: Twitter @TimBontemps

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Joel Embiid has an injury that kept Bam Adebayo out 7 weeks this season. – 2:42 PM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
#NBA story: MRI shows #Sixers star Joel Embiid has torn right thumb ligament, but he’s expected to keep playing as #76ers try to close out postseason series with #Raptors. Plus, officiating a hot topic again: https://t.co/ZGNA1a1WB9 pic.twitter.com/qYZRK8MdhE – 2:36 PM Rich Hoffman @rich_hofmann
Doc Rivers said Joel Embiid’s MRI “confirmed what we thought.”
“Nothing changes, the treatment is the same. There literally will be no change.” – 2:36 PM Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
Joel Embiid will require surgery to address the ligament tear in his right thumb, but that procedure will wait until after the Sixers’ season, sources tell ESPN. – 2:32 PM Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
Joel Embiid has a torn ligament in his right thumb, the MRI confirms. #Sixers – 2:25 PM Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
Joel Embiid: “I admire the job that they did today. To me, it felt like they had one job coming in here tonight and they got it done. So congrats to them.” pic.twitter.com/0cNwytssfi – 8:49 AM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
#NBA column: How will Joel Embiid’s thumb injury affect the #Sixers’ chances to close out playoff series with #Raptors and going forward after dropping Game 4 in Toronto? https://t.co/vidLpeYn4J #76ers pic.twitter.com/PhjhNHURW0 – 8:00 AM Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
For the Sixers to contend, Joel Embiid must dig deep and find a way to play through pain inquirer.com/sixers/sixers-… via @phillyinquirer – 2:08 AM Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
Sixers’ Joel Embiid golf claps at Game 4 officials after loss to Raptors: ” I admire the job that they did today” inquirer.com/sixers/76ers-s… via @phillyinquirer – 2:07 AM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
New ESPN story: Joel Embiid said he’s determined to play through his thumb sprain, but admitted it impacted him in Game 4. “It’s the playoffs. Nothing is gonna stop me. So I just got to keep going, and hope for the best.” espn.com/nba/story/_/id… – 10:10 PM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
#NBA column: #Sixers miss chance to sweep the #Raptors as Joel Embiid’s thumb becomes a bigger concern going forward: https://t.co/vidLpeYn4J #76ers pic.twitter.com/vVIqtWeCOu – 9:35 PM Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
Sixers’ Joel Embiid golf claps at Game 4 officials after loss to Raptors: ” I admire the job that they did today” inquirer.com/sixers/76ers-s… via @phillyinquirer – 8:41 PM Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
For the #Sixers to contend, Joel Embiid must dig deep and find a way to play through pain inquirer.com/sixers/sixers-… via @phillyinquirer – 8:07 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Joel Embiid was caught clapping toward the officials after the Game 4 loss. He explained why he did so in his presser. #Sixers sixerswire.usatoday.com/2022/04/23/joe… via @SixersWire #NBA – 7:43 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Joel Embiid gives an update on his thumb after the Game 4 loss to the Raptors on the road #Sixers sixerswire.usatoday.com/2022/04/23/joe… via @SixersWire #NBA – 7:41 PM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
Updated #NBA column: How will Joel Embiid’s right thumb injury affect the #Sixers’ chances to close out series with #Raptors in Game 5 Monday at home after falling in Toronto? https://t.co/vidLpeYn4J pic.twitter.com/Zuij885slb – 6:30 PM Gina Mizell @ginamizell
Embiid said he’s not exactly sure when the thumb injury occurred during Game 3: “It must have been during those physical battles, pushing each other. I think my hand or my finger must have gotten caught in someone’s shirt… – 5:55 PM Josh Lewenberg @JLew1050
Siakam on those plays with Embiid in the 4th: “I’m a competitor. I love competing. This is the playoffs, the highest level. I’m cool with the talking, I just don’t want those dirty plays. I don’t like that. Keep it basketball… At the end of the day, it’s all fake toughness” – 5:50 PM Gina Mizell @ginamizell
Embiid on the golf claps he gave to the officials at the end of the game: “I’m gonna take my own advice and not complain about fouls…I admire the job that they did today. To me, it felt like they had one job coming in here tonight. And they got it done, so congrats to them.” – 5:45 PM Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck
Joel Embiid’s full comments on the officiating: “I admire the job that they did today. To me, it felt like they had one job coming in here tonight, and they got it done, so congrats to them.” pic.twitter.com/EyHv43jTtX – 5:45 PM Gina Mizell @ginamizell
Joel Embiid finished his press conference with his “Africans don’t feel pain” line, but said he most feels his thumb when he’s rebounding, passing and at the free throw line. – 5:44 PM Josh Lewenberg @JLew1050
Thad Young was asked if he remembers the last time he crossed somebody over like he did Embiid today. He pointed to one of his two young sons, who are here watching his post-game press conference, and said “Yeah, that knucklehead.” – 5:39 PM Rich Hoffman @rich_hofmann
Lots from Joel Embiid’s post-game: Will get an MRI tomorrow but says he “imagines” he’s going to keep playing, thought the officials “did a great job,” talked about Toronto’s double teams.
And finally, when asked about the thumb for an 8th time: “Africans don’t feel pain.” – 5:36 PM Michael Grange @michaelgrange
Shout out to Thad Young for shouting out Aaron McKie who he says emphasized to his younger self the importance of ‘doing your work early’ on defense. Paid off tonight vs. Embiid. – 5:32 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Joel Embiid reveals he was really sick through the 1st 2 games this series – 5:32 PM Josh Lewenberg @JLew1050
Thad Young on guarding Embiid: “You see two bears fight before?” – 5:30 PM Eric Koreen @ekoreen
“You seen two bears fight before?” – Thad Young on guarding Embiid – 5:29 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Joel Embiid said he’s gonna take his own advice and not complain about calls. He did say he was proud of the officials for the job they did today. #Sixers – 5:28 PM Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck
Embiid on the officiating: “To me it felt like they had one job coming in here tonight, and they got it done…they did a great job” – 5:28 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Joel Embiid said his thumb is fine, he did add that it’s painful, but he’s gonna battle through it #Sixers – 5:27 PM Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck
Embiid says he will get an MRI tomorrow. Thinks the hand impacted him more with passing and rebounding more than anything else – 5:27 PM Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
Embiid said he will get his MRI tomorrow. – 5:27 PM Eric Smith @Eric__Smith
The lengths we go for these #SmithAndJones VLOGS, @Paul Jones! 🤣
Big-time win for the #Raptors. They force a game 5 in Philly.
Siakam, Young, Boucher, Trent & more were great. Solid team win; pestering Embiid all day.
Let’s break it down…
(cc: @FAN590 @Sportsnet #rtz) pic.twitter.com/QNohnXAyt6 – 5:24 PM Gina Mizell @ginamizell
Doc Rivers on Joel Embiid playing with his injured thumb: “It’s gonna be something he’s gonna have to deal with throughout the playoffs from this point on. It’s not gonna go away, so he will get better and better at figuring out how to use it.” – 5:10 PM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
#NBA column: #Sixers are unable able to sweep the #Raptors and Joel Embiid’s thumb is becoming a bigger concern: https://t.co/v6CQkI3m12 #76ers pic.twitter.com/ljA1lwPk1j – 4:34 PM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
As he walked off the court, Joel Embiid gave a *very* sarcastic golf clap to all three of the officials, and then turned around and did it twice more as he continued to walk off. – 4:32 PM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
Final: Raptors 110, 76ers 102.
76ers now lead this series 3-1 as it heads back to Philadelphia for Game 5 Monday. Joel Embiid’s ongoing thumb issue, and Fred VanVleet’s hip, loom large moving forward. – 4:31 PM Vivek Jacob @vivekmjacob
dalano stepped on the court and decided to do his best embiid impression – 4:30 PM Josh Lewenberg @JLew1050
Respectfully, Joel Embiid should take his own advice. – 4:23 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Things are getting real chippy now. Joel Embiid and OG Anunoby got into it. Anunoby got hit with that tech. #Sixers – 4:23 PM Brady Hawk @BradyHawk305
We’ve seen Miami throw so many bodies at Trae Young to bother him
Curious to see the plan on Embiid if that series presented itself
Frustrating him is the key as we see, and Miami has the personnel for that it feels – 4:22 PM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
I fully understand Joel Embiid is frustrated today, but you can’t do that. That’s just silly. – 4:21 PM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
Joel Embiid gets a technical, and Gary Trent Jr. hits Toronto’s 26th free throw of the game. Raptors are 26-32 from the line, Philly is 16-18 – and James Harden has taken 11 of them. Certainly a reversal from earlier in the series, when Toronto was frustrated about FTs. – 4:21 PM Eric Smith @Eric__Smith
Embiid took a bit of a forearm shot at Siakam…as Pascal called timeout. Play reviewed….
Tech on embiid. Trent hits FT.
Raps up 13 with 3:06 to go – 4:21 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Joel Embiid has been called for a tech. That might do it in this one. #Sixers – 4:20 PM Eric Koreen @ekoreen
Embiid T’d up. – 4:20 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Joel Embiid pushed Pascal Siakam a bit after the Raptors called timeout and Toronto didn’t like the play. The officials are now reviewing the play. James Harden got in Siakam’s face as well. #Sixers – 4:19 PM Michael Pina @MichaelVPina
what is embiid doing? – 4:19 PM Eric Koreen @ekoreen
Refs will review whatever it was Embiid just did. – 4:19 PM Ryan Wolstat @WolstatSun
Embiid has been doing some wild stuff to try to piss off his fellow Cameroonian. – 4:19 PM Vivek Jacob @vivekmjacob
gtfo embiid – 4:19 PM Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
GTJ gets the switch of Siakam guarded by Maxey, plenty of time on the clock, Embiid would have been unable to help guarding GTJ, and instead he takes the difficult shot himself over Embiid. – 4:16 PM Eric Smith @Eric__Smith
Embiid flailing all over. Crowd on him.
Just drew a triple team as I was typing this …and he walked.
Crowd on him
Raps up 11 – 4:15 PM Eric Koreen @ekoreen
Raps go +2 in a very short non-Embiid spurt. – 3:55 PM Rich Hoffman @rich_hofmann
Like last game, Embiid came alive in the third quarter. Like last game, Sixers have been close the whole way but just can’t get a lead. – 3:47 PM Eric Smith @Eric__Smith
Give him credit…he made shots in q3…but embiid was played so tough by Thad young in q3. Young has been great today.
Raps head to q4 up 3 – 3:46 PM Lauren Rosen @LaurenMRosen
The @Philadelphia 76ers trail by 3 headed into Q4, 80-77.
Embiid: 16 PTS / 3 REB / 3 AST
Harris: 13 PTS / 10 REB / 2 BLK
Harden: 14 PTS / 3 REB / 8 AST
Maxey: 9 PTS / 6 REB / 6 AST
Niang: 9 PTS – 3:45 PM Malcolm Miller @MalcMili13
Embiid is a monster in face up mode – 3:40 PM Eric Koreen @ekoreen
Joel Embiid has decided his thumb is fine. – 3:39 PM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
I’ve had my last 24 hours go kind of sideways (nothing truly bad, but one dumb thing after another), so I’m just sitting down to watch hoops.
Cliff Notes on PHI-TOR?
How does Embiid look? And where is FVV? – 3:34 PM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
After that turnover by Joel Embiid led to a Gary Trent Jr. dunk, Doc Rivers called timeout and spent a solid minute in an extended conversation with Tyrese Maxey pointing out a few things the coach was clearly unhappy with. – 3:24 PM Malcolm Miller @MalcMili13
Toronto Doubling Embiid on the flight of the ball. Now it’s a scramble to the shooters. Make them miss. – 3:21 PM Malcolm Miller @MalcMili13
Embiid has been sealing deeper in the post and making quicker moves on the post up before the double. Early gameplan could be speeding him up – 3:10 PM Dave Early @DavidEarly
Joel Embiid had been playing like *the* best player in the league. This version today, in this much apparent discomfort with the thumb, isn’t going to cut it if the Sixers want to win another 13 games. #Turninjuriesoff – 3:10 PM John Hollinger @johnhollinger
Embiid grabbing his thumb after every play seems suboptimal – 3:04 PM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
Raptors lead 54-49 at half. Combined 33 points from Gary Trent Jr. (17) and Pascal Siakam (16) for Toronto, but the focus for the Raptors will be on whether Fred VanVleet can return from what looked like a flareup of his ongoing knee issues. Joel Embiid had 8 for Philadelphia. – 3:03 PM Eric Koreen @ekoreen
Raps lead 54-49. Embiid is 3-10. Trent has 17, Siakam has 16. Harden and Harris keeping the Sixers in it. – 3:02 PM Ryan Wolstat @WolstatSun
54-49 Raptors at the half. A bunch of key players are in pain, including, but not limited to VanVleet, Embiid, Barnes. – 3:02 PM Eric Smith @Eric__Smith
Embiid misses under the tin / knocked away. Winces. Noticeably in pain and favoring his thumb.
Sixers have battled back from down 12 to cut it to 5 – 3:01 PM Gina Mizell @ginamizell
Embiid was grabbing that thumb in pain after the ball was knocked away under the basket a bit ago. But he’s staying in the game. – 3:00 PM Ryan Wolstat @WolstatSun
Embiid was either holding his thumb or flexing it from time he missed last shot, to time Anunoby went to free throw line. Even hunched over in pain at one point. – 3:00 PM Eric Koreen @ekoreen
Embiid really holding his thumb after missing the last shot. – 2:59 PM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
Joel Embiid is starting to wake up. Couple of nice moves for him to score here late in the second, including that and-one through two defenders. Philly back within five late in the second. – 2:59 PM Gina Mizell @ginamizell
Maxey’s first bucket comes with less than two to play in the first half. He, Embiid and Harden are a combined 7-of-21 and Sixers trail by just five after that And-1 finish by Embiid. – 2:59 PM Vivek Jacob @vivekmjacob
embiid went to get the ball and thad legit backed away to ensure he couldn’t draw a foul – 2:50 PM Josh Lewenberg @JLew1050
Interesting. Thad Young is on Embiid, at least for now. He’s got experience guarding bigs but hasn’t done it much with the Raps this season. – 2:48 PM Gina Mizell @ginamizell
Embiid is back in the game at the 7:30 mark of the second quarter, with the Sixers trailing 38-32. – 2:46 PM Eric Koreen @ekoreen
Raps will have Thad as primary Embiid defender for a bit. We will see about that! – 2:46 PM Malcolm Miller @MalcMili13
Higher pick up points, more ball pressure, extending catches. Toronto doing the little things that will get the W. Corner closeouts and contests are the key. They’re fine with Maxey, Embiid, Harden not beating them. Make everyone else take tough shots – 2:45 PM Josh Lewenberg @JLew1050
Raptors were +6 in Embiid’s 4.5 rest minutes. Much better, and some good stuff from Boucher and Thad Young over that stretch. – 2:45 PM Eric Koreen @ekoreen
Embiid back in. Raps go 14-8 in 4:30 without him. – 2:45 PM Doug Smith @SmithRaps
Raptors up 6 in the non-Embiid minutes is a must – 2:43 PM The Ringer @ringernba
Thaddeus Young caught Joel Embiid leaning 😳
(📼 @NBATV)
pic.twitter.com/WUxyvhLmY3 – 2:40 PM Gina Mizell @ginamizell
Here comes the Harden-Maxey second-quarter minutes with Embiid on the bench. Might be particularly crucial today, considering Embiid is 0-for-5 to start. – 2:39 PM Malcolm Miller @MalcMili13
Double Embiid from the nail back to the basket. Full rotate out. Philly sends a cutter to move the nail double. Will probably start to send 2 cutters to give Embiid more time back to the basket. Looks like Toronto is plays solo on the face up – 2:33 PM

More on this storyline

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid believes he will be able to play through his right thumb sprain until the playoffs are done, saying that if there is a ligament tear he expects to hold off any sort of surgical procedure until the offseason. “I want to play, so obviously got to listen to what they have to say,” Embiid said Saturday after the 76ers were on the wrong end of a 110-102 decision to the Raptors in Game 4 of their first-round series. “So, I would imagine that I keep playing and probably do something after the season.” -via ESPN / April 24, 2022 But when he was asked if he was frustrated by having to yet again deal with an injury at the most important time of the year, Embiid said he just focuses on what he can control when he goes on the court. “It’s whatever,” Embiid said. “I’m Catholic. God … I always put it in his hands. So that’s why when I go out there I don’t focus on, you know, what can happen or what’s going to happen? “I just go out there hoping for the best and trusting, trusting . So this series hasn’t been … I mean, nobody knows , but I was really sick for the first two games. But you know, I fought through it. -via ESPN / April 24, 2022 Tim Bontemps: Joel Embiid says he believes he will be able to play through the playoffs and, if the MRI confirms he needs to have a surgical procedure on his thumb, he will do so after the playoffs are over. -via Twitter @TimBontemps / April 23, 2022