76ers' Joel Embiid Plays with Gruesome Finger Injury vs. OKC; Undergoes X-Rays

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid suffered a finger injury during Monday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

He headed for the bench as his left ring finger was bent awkwardly to the left. However, trainers tended to Embiid and taped his ring and middle fingers together, which allowed him to return.

Embiid wound up logging 33 minutes in the 120-113 victory, nearly recording a triple-double (18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists) through the injury.

According to PhillyVoice.com's Kyle Neubeck, Embiid, who underwent an X-ray during the game, was evaluated for ligament damage afterward. He revealed there is a "possibility" he misses Thursday's game against the Boston Celtics, as he and the team are "still figuring out what's next."

After the game, Sixers star Ben Simmons let it be known that his teammate's injury was a tough sight.

"I nearly threw up when I saw that," Simmons said after the game, per 94WIP's Jon Johnson.

Embiid is all but guaranteed his third straight trip to the All-Star Game in 2019-20. He's averaging 23.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks through 30 games.

Injuries have been a dominant theme throughout Embiid's NBA career after he missed the entirety of his first two seasons in the league. Since then, the Sixers have been vigilant when it comes to monitoring his health and managing his workload.

Embiid might be delivering, but the same can't be said for his team as a collective unit. Philadelphia is 23-14, fifth in the Eastern Conference, and Al Horford has struggled finding his role alongside Embiid in the frontcourt.

In Horford, the Sixers have a ready-made replacement to take over as the starting center in Embiid's place should he suffer a more serious issue down the road.

But head coach Brett Brown needs all the time he can get with Horford and Embiid together on the court to make sure the team is ready to mount a title challenge when the playoffs arrive.