76ers News: NBA Fines Philadelphia Insane Sum For Lying On Injury Report

The Philadelphia 76ers' pockets are about $100,000 lighter today.

A press release from the NBA announced the league has dinged the Sixers to the tune of $100,000 due to some allegedly fallacious injury reporting. The league appears to have taken umbrage with the timing of All-Star and reigning MVP center Joel Embiid's return to the hardwood:

"The 76ers failed to accurately disclose the game availability status of Joel Embiid prior to their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2," the presser states. "Embiid was listed as 'Out' in Philadelphia's initial injury report and subsequently played in the game. The fine takes into account the 76ers' prior history of fines for violating injury reporting rules."

The Sixers received a $75,000 fine when Embiid was a very late scratch in a Jan. 27 game against the Denver Nuggets, per another league statement.

The seven-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA honoree and three-time All-Defensive Teamer looked like he was well on his way to notching his second straight league MVP honors this season, until he was felled by a meniscus injury that required a procedure.

The 30-year-old Kansas product missed two full months of action before making his surprising last-minute return against the Thunder. In the game, a 109-105 win against one of the top-ranked clubs in the league (the Thunder are already 52-24 this year), Embiid played a modest 29 minutes. He scored 24 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field (0-for-3 from deep) and 12-of-12 shooting from the charity stripe. He also notched seven assists (against a dicey six turnovers), six rebounds and three steals.

Embiid followed that up with a terrific showing against the 42-34 Miami Heat last night, now just 0.5 games ahead of the 42-35 Sixers in the Eastern Conference standings. In a second straight 109-105 win, Embiid scored 29 points on 11-of-25 shooting from the field (3-of-6 from long range) and 4-of-5 shooting from the foul line. He grabbed just four rebounds, dished out three dimes, swiped one steal and blocked a shot.

The return of Embiid has essentially returned the Sixers to the status they enjoyed before he went down: as one of the East's elites, led by Embiid and fellow All-Star Tyrese Maxey. Unfortunately, as just the eighth seed in the conference, the team is likely to face off against the top-seeded Boston Celtics or Milwaukee Bucks. Philadelphia could reach the seventh seed via the play-in tournament.

The addition of Embiid could certainly throw a wrench into those two teams' playoff aspirations. He's just that good. This year, in his 36 healthy games, the two-way, floor-spacing superstar is averaging 34.8 points on .528/.364/.886 shooting splits, 10.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 steals a night.

There's a fringe chance the Embiid-led Sixers sneak out of the play-in bracket and replace the Indiana Pacers as the Eastern Conference's current sixth seed. Time will tell. For now, the Sixers need to make sure they're a bit more candid in their injury reports. Starting shooting guard De'Anthony Melton and reserve wing Robert Covington are both still ailing, but there's a chance one or both players could return in time for the postseason, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.