Sixers' Joel Embiid exits against Pacers with facial injury

PHILADELPHIA --  Joel Embiid left the Philadelphia 76ers' game against the Indiana Pacers shortly before halftime Friday night after being struck in the face going for a defensive rebound.

Embiid was battling Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin when he caught an errant forearm and elbow to the face. Embiid crumpled to the court as play continued up the floor and stayed down near the Philadelphia bench, holding his face.

The team ruled him out early in the second half with "impact to the right side of the face" in the cheek and nose area. There was no immediate word on injury severity on Embiid, who left Wells Fargo Center for evaluation.

"He's getting tested on that," 76ers coach Nick Nurse said.

Embiid had 12 points, four rebounds and five assists in 17½ minutes in a 121-107 Philadelphia loss.

Embiid has played in just six of Philadelphia's 23 games. He has been bothered by swelling in his left knee and served a three-game suspension for a physical incident with a reporter.

Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George -- billed as Philadelphia's "Big Three" after George's offseason arrival -- have played parts of only three games together. The Sixers are 7-16 on the season.

"You just have to move on and practice when we practice again and have a next man up mentality," said Maxey, who led Philadelphia with 22 points. "What sucks about this is that we were moving in the right direction. Guys were figuring out roles, what coach wants from them and playing the right way. We know how to play with Joel -- and now, we may have to revert our minds back to playing without him. That's OK. It's different. That's how life is."

Embiid also has had number of facial injuries, including an orbital bone fracture after a collision with Pascal Siakam during the 2022 playoffs against the Raptors, and one in 2018 after colliding with teammate Markelle Fultz. Last year, Embiid revealed during a first-round playoff loss to New York that he had Bell's palsy.

Embiid told ESPN after Sunday's win in Chicago that his left knee issues this season were "depressing" because of the swelling not being related to an injury. That was Philadelphia's last game before Friday.

"He's been in a really good place all week and he practiced all week," Nurse said when asked about Embiid's state of mind. "We did a lot of stuff to get up to speed with him. But I can imagine that he can feel like the black cloud is over him a little bit. He just keeps running into something, really, unfortunately."