The Philadelphia 76ers really needed a win. They needed to put an end to a four-game losing skid that had put everything in a sour mood. So when superstar big man Joel Embiid dislocated his finger in the first half, it was time to shake it off and continue to fight.
That hard work led to a 120-113 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night where Embiid scored 18 points with nine rebounds and eight assists. No matter the injury, the big man was going to fight through this one.
“We’ve been losing lately and I really wanted to win this game,” he said. “Consequences, you assume them later, but as the leader, you want to go out and show your teammates that you want to win and you’re going to do everything possible to do so.”
Joel Embiid on his role as the leader of this team and the importance of playing with the dislocated finger #Sixers pic.twitter.com/C98Ge84hDu
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) January 7, 2020
It was not easy for him though. With the dislocated finger, it caused him to be hindered against Thunder big man Steven Adams who had a big night of 24 points and 15 rebounds, nine of them on the offensive end of the floor. Due to his limited play, it was tough to really battle in the paint with him.
“It was pretty bad,” Embiid said of the pain. “I was basically playing with one hand so it’s pretty bad, but in the midst of the losing streak, I just wanted to make sure I do everything possible to try and get us a win. I’m just glad we got the win.”
The Sixers must now hope that he is healthy enough to play in Thursday’s game against the Boston Celtics. [lawrence-related id=22822,22810,22787]