The 76ers' NBA championship hopes have taken a major hit.
Philadelphia fans were left pulling their hair out (or what's left of it) after star man Ben Simmons went down with a knee injury during the third quarter of the team's 107-98 victory over the Washington Wizards.
The Aussie guard was seen hobbling uncomfortably down the tunnel towards the locker room after landing awkwardly while going up for an offensive rebound.
Ben Simmons heads to the locker room after an apparent leg injury
"We don't know," head coach Brett Brown said after the game as he addressed Simmons' injury.
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While it's still unknown as to how long Simmons will be sidelined for, the thought of losing the 6 foot 8 inch ace comes as a huge blow for title-hungry Sixers supporters.
With the inconsistent regular season (in a time before COVID-19) long behind them, Philly fans were looking to the Walt Disney World bubble with some degree of hope.
Early indications on Ben Simmons are encouraging — no swelling or pain in left knee after leaving court, sources tell ESPN.
Ben Simmons leaving arena after injuring his left knee and not returning to the game “Walking gingerly” #Sixers
A fit and healthy Al Horford; a focused Tobias Harris; a revitalised Joel Embiid and a Ben Simmons who had been working on his jumper during the coronavirus break - all these things pointed towards a positive outcome in Orlando for the 76ers.
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But now an air of uncertainty lies above that final - and potentially most important - piece of the Philadelphia puzzle.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted: "Early indications on Ben Simmons are encouraging - no swelling or pain in left knee after leaving court, sources tell ESPN."
While NBCS reporter John Clark said Simmons was "walking gingerly".
The Sixers now face the nervous wait to see whether Simmons' left knee strain will keep him out of action.
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