Philadelphia 76ers centre Joel Embiid leaves hospital after surgery
Philadelphia 76ers centre Joel Embiid has been discharged from hospital following emergency appendicitis surgery, with no established timeline for his return to the court.
The 32-year-old was admitted to a Houston medical facility on Thursday after his condition suddenly deteriorated overnight.
Team physicians and his surgeon will now manage the recovery process as the Eastern Conference standout travels back to Pennsylvania.
Playoff picture remains uncertain for Philadelphia
His unexpected absence is a significant setback for a franchise desperately fighting for optimal post-season positioning.
Philadelphia suffered a 113-102 defeat against the Houston Rockets on Thursday evening without their primary offensive weapon.
The team currently occupies eighth place in the Eastern Conference with only two regular-season fixtures remaining against the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks.
Depending on weekend results, the Sixers could still secure the sixth seed to guarantee a playoff berth or plummet to tenth ahead of Tuesday’s play-in tournament.
Nurse laments unexpected setback for 76ers
Head coach Nick Nurse revealed the reigning league MVP had participated normally in Wednesday’s practice session before falling ill.
“It is a tough blow,” Nurse said.
“I think that the biggest thing right now is that Joel comes out of the surgery as best as possible and all that goes well.”
“That’s where most of my thoughts are right now.”
The towering centre has been highly productive when available this season, averaging 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds across 38 appearances.
