The deadly coronavirus has struck the Philadelphia 76ers once again with star center Joel Embiid testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning. Embiid was scheduled to be rested for the game against the New York Knicks but he will now miss a few more games as a result of his positive diagnosis.
Embiid the latest Sixer to test positive for COVID-19
Embiid is now the fourth Sixer to enter the NBA's health and safety protocols, joining Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe in the sick list. The Sixers felt their absence in the showdown against the Knicks as they ended up losing 103-96 to their Eastern Conference rivals.
Andre Drummond stepped up big time in the absence of Embiid, scoring 14 points and grabbing 25 rebounds in the loss to the Knicks. Drummond will have more opportunities to post those monster numbers with the Sixers set to face the Milwaukee Bucks and the Toronto Raptors in their current home stand.
It is important to mention that Embiid is vaccinated but he will still sit for a minimum of 10 days as mandated by the league's protocols because of his positive test. That is a huge blow for the Sixers as Embiid would now miss at least five games, including part of Philadelphia's upcoming six-game road trip on the West Coast.
Embiid's positive COVID-19 test is such a bummer for Sixers fans as he was just coming off his best performance of the season in the win against Chicago. Embiid wreaked havoc against the Bulls defense, racking up a double-double of 30 points and 15 rebounds. He shot 11 of 19 from the field, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc, to lead the Sixers to a 114-105 road win over the Bulls.
Embiid has been a beast for the East-leading Sixers this season, averaging 21.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists in nine games played. Embiid's assist numbers are noteworthy as that is a career-best. With Ben Simmons still refusing to play for Philadelphia, Embiid has taken it upon himself to become more of a facilitator for the Sixers.
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Simmons to return soon for Sixers?
Speaking of Simmons, the Australian has decided to finally meet with a Sixers-recommended medical specialist to discuss his mental health. Simmons decided to change course and follow the Sixers' directive after he was fined by the team for failing to live up to terms on his contract.
The Sixers found Simmons to be uncooperative about his mental health issue, reinstating a series of fines as a result, including $360,000 for missing the game against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. The standoff between the Sixers and Simmons has now been going on for four months and sadly for both parties, there is still no end in sight for their dispute.
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