Sixers fined $75,000 for failing to include Joel Embiid on injury report before Nuggets absence
Embiid was a late scratch after he appeared to reinjure his left knee in a Jan. 25 loss to the Pacers. He is in Philadelphia being evaluated after yet another injury suffered against the Warriors.
SALT LAKE CITY — The 76ers were fined $75,000 on Thursday for violating the NBA’s injury reporting rules.
This came after Joel Embiid’s late scratch Saturday shortly before tip-off of a 111-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets. At that time, a league source fully expected the team would be fined for failing to follow protocol. Embiid was ruled out of the game even though he was not listed on the team’s injury report.
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The New Orleans Pelicans were also fined $25,000 for failing to include Trey Murphy III on the team’s injury report for Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Sixers were fined more than New Orleans because of their history of fines for violating injury reporting rules.
This time, Embiid’s absence was a surprise to the Nuggets and did not sit well with Denver coach Michael Malone.
“I don’t know how you go from being active, available, to out,” Malone said following the game. “I’m sure the league will do their due diligence because that’s frowned upon. We’ve had situations this year where we talked to the league. They told us if a player goes from active to out, there’s going to be an investigation.”
Embiid played the night before the Nuggets game and appeared to reinjure his left knee on Jan. 25 in a 134-122 loss to the Indiana Pacers. After the second-quarter play, Embiid first grabbed his right knee before holding his left one. He acknowledged that the knee bothered him after that game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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In addition to Saturday’s game, Embiid missed Monday’s 130-104 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. He returned in Tuesday’s 119-107 loss to the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center, but he left with another injury to his knee with 4 minutes, 4 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
The reigning MVP is back in Philadelphia undergoing further evaluation while the Sixers prepare to face the Utah Jazz on Thursday night at the Delta Center.