Report: 76ers’ Embiid experiencing thumb pain, expects to continue playing

Philadelphia 76ers star centre Joel Embiid is experiencing pain and discomfort in his right thumb, but still expects to play in Game 4 against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania also reports that Embiid is dealing with an injury, adding that there’s fear Embiid has a torn ligament in his thumb, but the 28-year-old has vowed to play through the injury.

Embiid did practise on Friday, but Shelburne reports that he could receive an MRI in the “near future” to determine the extent of the injury.

While attending practice on Friday, Embiid was seen sporting a brace around his thumb. The MVP candidate has worn it around his wrist after previous games, and dismissed any thought that he may miss Game 4, according to 76ers beat reporter Kyle Neubeck.

Coming off a season where he averaged 30.6 points and 11.7 rebounds, Embiid has carried his momentum into the playoffs where he is averaging 27.7 points and 13.0 rebounds in three games against the Raptors.

The seven-footer from Cameroon poured in a particularly thrilling performance in Game 3, scoring 33 points on 12-of-20 shooting, including the game-winning dagger in overtime.