Joel Embiid ruled out of Sixers’ game against Raptors due to right knee injury recovery

TORONTO — Joel Embiid did not play in the 76ers’ game against the Raptors Friday night because of right knee injury recovery.

Embiid, who was listed as questionable on Friday afternoon’s injury report, was present at the Sixers’ morning shootaround at Scotiabank Arena but did not go through his typical pregame warm-up. Coach Doc Rivers said Embiid was dealing with knee soreness that the team takes “seriously.” The Sixers are on the front end of a back-to-back, and will play the Bulls in Chicago Saturday night. Embiid has also been increasing his conditioning after dealing with plantar fasciitis in the lead-up to training camp.

“I just think every night with Joel is questionable right now,” Rivers said before the game. “I think we should treat him like Tom Brady, honestly. We want to make sure he feels great early in the year, every night, and if it takes up to game time every night, we’re going to do that.”

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P.J. Tucker is projected to start at center in a small-ball lineup. Guard De’Anthony Melton is also projected to move into the first group. In previous games, Rivers has toggled between Montrezl Harrell and Paul Reed as Embiid’s backup at center.

“I trust all our guys,” Rivers said. “I really do. … I don’t know if any one of our backup guys are ready to play 35 minutes, but I know combined, they can. So we’ll see.”

Embiid, who last season led the NBA in scoring and finished second in MVP voting, is averaging 27.6 points, 10 rebounds, and 3.2 assists through the Sixers’ first five games. He finished with 31 points on 12-of-17 shooting, five rebounds, and three assists in Wednesday’s loss to the Raptors.

Tucker called Thursday’s film session “100% different” than most that occur between regular-season games. Rather than talk through corrections more broadly, the Sixers will immediately be able to apply adjustments stemming from Wednesday’s loss to the same opponent in Friday’s rematch.

“I like it for the fact that [if] you lose the first one, you get a chance to play that team again,” Tucker told The Inquirer following Friday’s shootaround. “It’s kind of like playoffs a little bit. … Usually we’re so used to jumping right to washing that game and getting ready for the next one.”

The NBA began these two-game, baseball-style series during the condensed 72-game 2020-21 season, aiming to limit travel during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. This season, consecutive games against the same opponent occur even more frequently across the Sixers’ schedule.

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Following Saturday’s game in Chicago, the Sixers will take on the Washington Wizards Monday on the road and Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center. Later in the season, the Sixers will face the Magic twice in a row in Orlando on Nov. 25 and 27, and again in Philly on Jan. 30 and Feb. 1. They also have consecutive games against the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 10 (away) and 12 (home), Detroit Pistons on Jan. 8 (away) and 12 (home), Miami Heat on Feb. 27 (home) and March 1 (away), and Bulls on March 20 (home) and 22 (away).

Tucker said sharpening defensive energy and execution remains the priority for the Sixers, who entered Friday ranked 25th in the NBA in defensive rating at 117.1 points allowed per 100 possessions. During Wednesday’s loss, the Sixers surrendered 29 fastbreak points and 21 points off turnovers and allowed Toronto to shoot 54.8% from the floor, including 16-of-37 from three-point range.

“Weren’t aggressive at all,” Tucker said. “We let them get to their spots. They did make shots, credit them, but it was off of some of our mistakes in coverages.”

The Sixers’ newcomers have been largely disappointing during the early season.

Tucker is coming off a 3-of-10 shooting performance against the Raptors. Danuel House Jr. had made only two of his nine three-point attempts entering Friday. Harrell has averaged less than two points and less than one rebound in 7.4 minutes during his first five games. The group has not combined to make the expected defensive impact.

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Yet Melton is beginning to find his way offensively. He totaled 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, five assists, and three steals on Wednesday. That followed an 11-point, five-rebound performance in Monday’s victory over the Indiana Pacers.

“[I’m] just understanding my spacing, understanding where I need to be on offense … and what we’re trying to attack that day,” Melton told The Inquirer. “Continue to play hard. That’s all I’ve got to do. Hit the open shot. Hit the open guy. Just try to make it simple.”