Joel Embiid injury: Will the Philadelphia 76ers star miss games after sustaining back injury?

Joel Embiid, playing against the Brooklyn Nets in the Game 3 of NBA Playoffs, got injured and went to the locker room. The Philadelphia 76ers star suffered a blow on his back.

The 29-year-old, however, returned within minutes. The Sixers won 102-97 at the Barclays Center. They have a 3-0 lead in the series.

Early in the first quarter, Embiid had a physical confrontation with Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton. The NBA MVP favorite kicked his opponent in the groin and was given a flagrant foul 1. Social media users were surprised that he escaped an ejection.

Claxton was handed a technical foul. Even after returning in the second quarter, Joel Embiid was struggling to move swiftly in the court.

There is no official word on the Philadelphia player’s injury. He is expected to play Game 4.

The Nets were trailing 99-97 in the fourth quarter. James Harden and co had a chance to tie the game with 10 seconds remaining. Point guard Spencer Dinwiddie did take a layup but was denied by Embiid.

Fans then chanted ‘MVP MVP’ in support of the visiting star.

After the game, Sixers coach Doc Rivers said that he was scared after Embiid’s scuffle with Claxton.

“I never looked up. I swear to God, I didn’t want to look up. To this point, I’ve yet to see it. The game was not going well, and so I’m not superstitious, but I swear, I never looked up and I hadn’t seen it yet because I thought the way this thing is going, anything can happen,” Rivers said.

Claxton and the Brooklyn Nets said that they expected the Sixers mainstay to be kicked out.

“He’s the MVP. I thought he should have been kicked out, but like I said, it’s not my job to referee. Maybe I should have sold it more instead of just clapping on the ground. Like I was really, really hurt, but just gotta move on,” Claxton told reporters.

Nets coach Jacque Vaughn backed his player. The Embiid Claxton face-off took place days after Draymond Green was ejected in a similar incident.