Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is dealing with swelling in his left knee and will miss a second consecutive game on Sunday, the team announced.
The Sixers released a statement regarding the condition of their 2023 NBA MVP at halftime during Friday’s NBA Cup matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. The team explained that the decision to sit Embiid was made in consultation with their medical staff. He was ruled out before Friday’s game due to "left knee injury maintenance" and will also be sidelined for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
“Joel Embiid is managing swelling in his left knee. In consultation with the team’s medical staff, Embiid missed tonight’s game and will also miss Sunday’s game. He is receiving treatments, and further updates on his status will be provided early next week," the team’s statement read.
Embiid's concerns
Initially listed as questionable, Embiid was declared a game-time decision during coach Nick Nurse’s pregame media session. However, he did not take part in warmups and was officially ruled out about 30 minutes before tip-off.
“It’s kind of something that we knew that we were going to be dealing with going into the season," Nurse explained after the Sixers' 113-98 win over the Nets. “They do what they can do to remove that swelling, but it just didn’t feel good enough to go," said Nurse.
Embiid 's press conference statements
Nurse added that the team became aware that Embiid would be unavailable shortly after the pregame press conference, with further assessment during halftime confirming the need for additional treatment over the weekend. Embiid was not present in the locker room after the game, as he continued his recovery.
The 30-year-old center had played just two days earlier, scoring 35 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in a 117-111 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. During the game, Embiid appeared to be limping at times and was clearly dealing with his knee injury, but he pushed through and stayed on the court as the Sixers fought to stay in the game.
Absence from the game
Embiid’s absence from Friday's game comes just days after the Sixers lost another key player, Paul George, to a left knee bone bruise during Wednesday’s contest. George is expected to be sidelined until at least next week. Guard Tyrese Maxey, who had missed two weeks with a hamstring injury, made his return against Memphis, marking the first time this season that Embiid, Maxey, and George played together.
Embiid has now missed 11 of the team’s 15 games this season, after previously missing the first 10 due to knee management issues and a three-game suspension. Last season, Embiid was limited to 39 games due to knee surgery after tearing the meniscus in his left knee during a game against Golden State on January 30.
Embiid, who helped the U.S. win a gold medal in the Paris Olympics, signed a $193 million contract ahead of training camp but opted to skip the entire preseason.
