If he has a torn thumb, the Philadelphia 76ers center expects to hold off on any surgery until after the playoffs.
I want to play, so obviously got to listen to what they have to say.
In the fourth game of the series, he had 21 points, eight rebound and three assists in 39 minutes. He went 7-for-9 from the foul line. He wore a wrap on his thumb during the game and had a brace on his hand, the same one he wore after Game 3.
According to Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski, an initial exam of the thumb showed a torn thumb, but that an MRI was needed to confirm it.
When asked if the injury was impacting his play on the court, he joked that in basketball, you need to use your hand a lot.
He said that it impacted his rebound. In the 14 games since his last rebound, he had eight.
I would say it was more, when it comes to rebound, at the free throw and also passing. The bigger story is that we lost the game. We have to do a better job.
The Raptors were able to carry over the way they played throughout most of Game 3, which was why they were able to steal a victory for Philadelphia. Fred VanVleet left the game in the second quarter with a left hip strain.
VanVleet tore his jersey in half as he walked off the court with 4:57 to go in the second quarter. The Raptors point guard was getting more scans on his hip Saturday night to see if he's able to play.
Raptors coach Nick Nurse said that VanVleet probably knew that he was leaving the game. There is a lot to that. Not every guy in the league does that.
It is frustrating when you are fighting through one thing and then you get another one that feels as painful as it looked to him. He is going to play through a lot of injuries and not be healthy and I am sure he was frustrated because he wanted to play.
The Raptors were able to overcome VanVleet's absence because of the return of Scottie Barnes. Barnes missed the last two games with an ankle injury.
Barnes replaced VanVleet as the team's starting point guard in the second half. He finished with 11 rebound, two assists, and no turnovers, as well as six points, after he went 1-for-6 from the field.
Barnes said that he would try to bring defensive effort in Game 4. Try to keep us going and bring energy to do things.
I'm trying to be a leader on the floor by having that presence. Bring that presence, not really trying to do so much.
The Raptors gave Philadelphia fits in the way they were supposed to come into the series. The Raptors scored 22 points and forced the 76ers into 16 turnovers, which led to 12 second-chance points and eight more shot attempts.
The Raptors got on the board in the series by shooting more free throws than the 76ers and getting big performances from Gary Trent Jr., who scored 24 points.
While the 76ers said they didn't play with enough energy and effort and needed to be better in Game 5, they had their own message for the refs as they left the court.
They did a great job, but I will take my own advice and not complain about fouls. They did a great job today. It felt like they had only one job coming in tonight, and they got it done. So, thank you to them.
I don't know if that job was to make sure there was a Game 5. You can figure it out. They did a great job.
I will take my own advice and not complain about it. If they don't call it, I'm going to be more aggressive defensively and on the offensive. If they want to give them, like, fouls or if they want to call, really, no fouls, I have to make them earn them and be physical.
He wasn't sure what happened in Game 3 to cause the injury. It is the latest in a long line of injuries that Embiid has suffered throughout his career.
When he was asked if he was frustrated by having to deal with an injury at the most important time of the year, he said he just focuses on what he can control.
I'm Catholic. God... I always put it in his hands. I don't focus on what can happen or what will happen when I go out there.
I just hope for the best and trust my teammates. This series hasn't been started yet. I was sick for the first two games. I fought through it.
It is the playoffs. Nothing will stop me. I have to keep going and hope for the best.
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