The Sixers defeated the Knicks on Thursday without center Joel Embiid, then got promising news on his injured left shoulder.
Tests show no significant structural damage, as he’s been diagnosed with a sprain, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Embiid’s progress will be symptom-based and he’ll be re-evaluated in approximately one week, Charania adds.
Embiid suffered the injury against Cleveland on Wednesday. The big man collided with Ante Zizic late in the first quarter. He remained in the game to shoot two free throws, then was taken out at the next stoppage.
The Sixers scheduled an MRI to determine the extent of the damage.
Philadelphia is down its two best players. Ben Simmons is out for at least the next two weeks because of a nerve impingement in his lower back.
Without Embiid, the Sixers relied more on Al Horford (15 points, nine assists, seven rebounds) and Tobias Harris (34 points, seven assists, seven rebounds) against New York. Kyle O’Quinn also got more playing time and grabbed 10 rebounds in 14 minutes.
