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Joel Embiid won’t join the remainder of the Sixers’ road trip; team hopes he’ll return Tuesday vs. Bulls

Head coach Nick Nurse ruled Embiid out vs. the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Nicolas Batum is expected to return, however.

Sixers center Joel Embiid hasn't played since Dec. 22 against the Raptors because of a sprained ankle.
Sixers center Joel Embiid hasn't played since Dec. 22 against the Raptors because of a sprained ankle.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

HOUSTON — Joel Embiid will not join the 76ers on their four-game road trip, which continues Friday in Houston and Saturday in Chicago. The hope is he’ll return from a sprained right ankle in Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls at the Wells Fargo Center.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse announced Embiid won’t play in Saturday night’s game against the Bulls at the United Center. Embiid has already missed the first three games of the trip.

”He’s on the court, again,” Nurse said before Friday’s game against the Rockets at the Toyota Center. “He’s still a little sore. But he was on the court again today. Just trying to make sure that he’s a little bit better before we bring him back. He won’t make the trip, now. But we hope that he’ll be ready for the next one.”

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Embiid has been receiving treatment and working out at the Sixers practice facility in Camden while the team played against the Miami Heat (Monday), Orlando Magic (Wednesday), and the Rockets.

Nicolas Batum will return Saturday barring a setback, however. Friday’s game marked the fifth game he’s missed with a right hamstring strain. Batum is averaging 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds.

Embiid sprained his ankle in the first quarter of last Friday’s 121-111 victory over the Toronto Raptors at the Wells Fargo Center. He remained in the game, finishing with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. During his dominant performance, Embiid grimaced in pain and played with a noticeable limp throughout the rest of the game.

The 7-foot-0, 280-pound center is averaging a league-best 35.0 points. He’s fifth in rebounding (11.7) and ninth in blocks (2.0). In addition, he’s averaging a career-best 6.0 assists.