Double loss for the Sixers: fall to Pacers and loss of Embiid
While the 76ers mourn another injury to their Cameroonian star, the Lakers felt LeBron's absence against the Timberwolves and the Cleveland Cavaliers returned to victory against the Washington Wizards who are in a downward spiral.
The Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton blocks 76ers Andre Drummond.
It’s gone from bad to worse for Joe Embid. The 76ers' star center had to leave the court Friday because of a blow to the face, an accidental elbow while fighting for a rebound under the rim. It’s also gotten worse for the team as a whole: Philadelphia finished the game against the Indiana Pacers 107-121.
The Cameroonian giant, who won Olympic gold with the Dream Team in Paris 2024, had scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out five assists. However, moments before halftime, he had to depart.
Philadelphia coach, Nick Nurse said immediately after the game that Embiid was undergoing tests to check for facial fractures, AFP reported.
Embiid was playing his second game after missing seven games. He has only played six games this season because of problems with his left knee and a three-game suspension for an altercation with a reporter.
The Pacers, powered by 32 points and 11 assists from Tyrese Haliburton, led most of the game. Pascal Siakam added 23 points and eight rebounds, while Obi Toppin contributed 20 points off the bench for Indiana.
Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points to lead Philadelphia, which also saw rookie Jared McCain receive a troubling blow to the back of the head. McCain needed help from teammate Paul George to get to the free-throw line before exiting the game, but he passed concussion protocol and returned.
Cavs return to victory
The league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back from a loss to Miami with a 115-105 victory over the hapless Washington Wizards, who suffered their 18th loss in 19 games.
Darius Garland scored 24 points and Jarrett Allen added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Cavs, who improved their record to 22-4, extending their lead over defending champions Boston at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Washington, led by 27 points from forward Bilal Coulibaly, kept the game close and was up by three points early in the third quarter.
Cleveland hit just 39.6% of its shots from the field, but outscored Washington 28-9 from the free-throw line and turned 18 Wizards turnovers into 26 points. Despite their impressive record, Allen noted that the Cavaliers must continue to improve on the details.
Lakers fall at Minnesota without LeBron
Minnesota's star point guard, Anthony Edwards, scored 23 points to lead the Timberwolves in a 97-87 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, who were without superstar LeBron James for the second straight game.
Julius Randle scored 21 points, Jaden McDaniels added 18 and Rudy Gobert contributed 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who beat the Lakers for the second time this month.
James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, was again absent due to a sore left foot, but the 39-year-old has also been excused from team activities for personal reasons. Coach JJ Redick said before Friday's game that he didn't know when James would return.
Anthony Davis shouldered the scoring load for the Lakers with 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Austin Reaves returned from a five-game injury absence to score 18 points.
However, the Lakers, who committed 22 turnovers, never took the lead on the scoreboard.
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