Embiid undergoes surgery on thumb, has procedure on left index finger

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Joel Embiid and the Sixers prioritized the present during the playoffs, pushing the five-time All-Star’s injury issues to the offseason as much as possible. 

With the Sixers now watching the remainder of the postseason from home after their second-round series loss to the Heat, Embiid underwent surgery Monday to repair his sprained right thumb, the team said.

He also had a separate procedure to repair a left index finger injury. Per the team, neither procedure is expected to impact Embiid’s availability for training camp.

Following the Sixers’ Game 6 loss to Miami, Embiid said he did not expect he’d need surgery for his right orbital fracture. In addition to a concussion, that injury sidelined Embiid for the first two games of the Heat series and required him to wear a protective mask when he returned. 

Though the significant physical problems affected Embiid, he didn’t want to focus on how exactly they hampered him.

“At this point, those questions are good, but if I say that I’m feeling a certain way, it’s probably looked at as excuses,” he said after the Sixers’ blowout Game 5 defeat. “If I don’t say anything, it’s probably looked at as 'he must be fine.' I don’t have an answer. … I’m really just pushing through it.”

Embiid’s left index finger injury never appeared on the the Sixers’ postseason injury reports. He did have tape around his left index and middle fingers after the team beat the Heat in Game 3. 

The 28-year-old led the NBA in scoring this season and finished second in MVP voting for the second straight year. His four-year supermax extension will begin in the 2023-24 season.

Read more: Health still No. 1, but what else should Embiid focus on this summer? 

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