Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images. Pictured: Joel Embiid
After leaving Game 4 in the first quarter and not returning, Joel Embiid will miss at least Game 5 of the first-round series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Wizards due to a knee injury.
The official word from the 76ers is that Embiid suffered a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee and is considered day-to-day (he also hyperextended his left knee in the middle of the season and missed 10 games).
Embiid’s most of the previews game had a major impact on the series reaching a fifth contest, but oddsmakers had already considered his status with opening betting odds. The Sixers opened as -6.5-point favorites and stayed there following the news. Philadelphia was an 8-point favorite in Game 1 and an 8.5-point favorite in Game 2, covering just one of the two wins.
Philadelphia is still -5000 at DraftKings to win the series, but without Embiid the team’s chances in the Eastern Conference took a huge hit. There is the benefit of avoiding either the Brooklyn Nets or Milwaukee Bucks until the Eastern Conference Finals, but it’s unclear if Embiid would be healthy enough by then.
The center scored 30, 22 and 36 points in the first three games of the series. He had 8 points in 11 minutes in Game 4.
The Sixers were +700 to win the NBA title entering the playoffs at BetMGM, but odds were off the board at time of publish. PointsBet had Philadelphia at +1000 with DraftKings posting +900.
At PointsBet, the Bucks are +550 with the Nets the overall favorite at +170.
