Joel Embiid listed as day to day after missing game vs. Celtics with right knee soreness
The Sixers center continues to recover from a right knee injury and has played on a minutes restriction.
Joel Embiid missed Tuesday night’s game against the Boston Celtics at Xfinity Mobile Arena with right knee soreness.
The 76ers said the 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star is being evaluated by team doctors, and further updates will be provided at an appropriate time.
The news comes as Embiid continues to recover from a left knee injury and plays on a minutes restriction. He underwent surgery in April for the second time in 14 months. It was the third surgery on that knee in nine years.
“We had a shootaround today. Obviously, a day off yesterday,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said before Tuesday’s game. “He just reported a little soreness in his right knee. He’s had some imaging on that this afternoon, and the doctors are here tonight to go over that with him.”
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After the game, Nurse said there’s no structural damage and Embiid is listed day to day. The Sixers face the Detroit Pistons on Friday at Little Caesars Arena.
The coach also said there’s no particular play from Saturday’s 130-120 victory over the Toronto Raptors that can be pinpointed to the knee soreness.
“He just showed up today with some soreness at shootaround,” he said.
The 7-foot-2, 280-pound center missed Sunday’s 111-108 home loss to the Pistons because he doesn’t play on back-to-back nights to rest his left knee. He has already missed four of the Sixers’ first 10 games because of the injury. Embiid is averaging 19.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 23.3 minutes.
He had his best game of the season against the Raptors. Embiid finished with 29 points on 10-for-16 shooting, along with going 8 of 9 on free throws. He also had six rebounds, four assists, and one block while logging a season-high 25:57.
Andre Drummond started in Embiid’s place against the Pistons, while Adem Bona got the start in the first three games Embiid missed.
Paul George (left knee surgery recovery), Dominick Barlow (right elbow laceration), and Johni Broome (right ankle sprain) are the other sidelined Sixers.
George has yet to play this season.
“He has been looked at this weekend,” Nurse said of George. “He also has a doctor and the surgeons here this evening as well to go over that as well.”
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After meeting with doctors, it was determined that the final stage of his return-to-play plan involves continued strengthening of his left quadriceps, which will be managed through a strength and conditioning program and on-court basketball activities. He will be re-evaluated later this week.
Meanwhile, the Celtics are without Jayson Tatum (right Achilles tendon surgery). Max Shulga and Amari Williams also will miss the game while on two-way assignment with Boston’s NBA G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws.