The NBA announced Wednesday that the Philadelphia 76ers were fined $100,000 for violating the league's injury report rules.
According to a report from ESPN, the 76ers failed to report center Joel Embiid's injury status and availability ahead of Sunday's game against the Atlanta Hawks.
Originally, Philadelphia listed the seven-time All-Star as out, but then Embiid played anyway. He scored 18 points in a season-high 30 minutes, and the Hawks defeated the Sixers 142-134 in double overtime.
Before Sunday, Emiid did not play in the Sixers' previous nine games. He sat out Tuesday's game against the Washington Wizards, a contest Philadelphia won convincingly against one of the NBA's worst teams, 121-102.
The 76ers need Embiid to stay healthy
So much of the Sixers' playoff hopes this season rest on the health of their star big man, Embiid.
The 31-year-old is managing knee soreness, and his minutes per game (24.3) are a career low due to the injury.
Embiid played just 19 games during the 2024-25 campaign, a season that was cut short in February. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on the knee this past April to further attempt to lessen the pain.
The former third-overall draft pick in 2014 is averaging 19.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in seven games this year.
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