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76ers Fined $50K for Not Properly Reporting Joel Embiid's Injury Status Before Game 3
May 7, 2022
The NBA has fined the Philadelphia 76ers for failing to properly report Joel Embiid's injury status prior to Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat on Friday.
The league released a statement Saturday saying the Sixers were fined $50,000 for failing to disclose Embiid's "participation status in an accurate and timely manner" before the game began.
Embiid missed the first two games of the series because of an orbital fracture and mild concussion. He suffered the injury in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Toronto Raptors.
According to NBA rules, Embiid was officially listed as out for Friday's game against the Heat until he passed concussion protocol.
ESPN's Tim Bontemps tweeted at 11:28 a.m. ET, approximately six-and-a-half hours before tipoff, that Embiid had cleared concussion protocol. He was still listed as out at that point, but Bontemps said his status could change before the game started.
The Sixers announced their starting lineup, which included Embiid, in a tweet at 6:44 p.m. ET.
The NBA adopted a policy in 2019 that teams are required to announce their starting lineups 30 minutes before tipoff. The game began at 7 p.m. ET, though tipoff didn't technically happen until around 7:15 p.m. ET.
Despite the small hit to ownership's wallet, Embiid's return was the most important thing for the 76ers. They earned their first victory of the series with a 99-79 win over the Heat.
Embiid didn't have his most efficient offensive performance. The MVP finalist dropped 18 points on 5-of-12 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds in 36 minutes. He was fantastic on defense, holding Heat players to 4-of-17 shooting when he was the primary defender.
Philadelphia will attempt to even the series when it hosts the Heat in Game 4 on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.