Joel Embiid, Paul George miss Sixers’ game against the Raptors in Toronto
The injury report listed Embiid as out because of left knee injury management in addition to groin soreness.
TORONTO — Joel Embiid missed Sunday’s game against the Raptors with left groin soreness and left knee injury management. Paul George was a late scratch for the game with left knee soreness.
Embiid had played in six consecutive games — and hit 40 minutes Monday in an overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets — for the first time since the 2023-24 season. Embiid had been listed Saturday as questionable on the injury report for left knee injury management ahead of this back-to-back in Toronto on Sunday and Monday. The groin soreness, which coach Nick Nurse said emerged following Friday’s victory at the Orlando Magic, was added to the report on Sunday.
Embiid, the former MVP who is coming off multiple knee surgeries, is averaging 23.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 19 games. George has averaged 16 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 steals in 20 games.
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Without Embiid, the Sixers will turn to Andre Drummond and Adem Bona at center against the 23-16 Raptors, who sat a half-game ahead of the Sixers (21-15) in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings entering Sunday. Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker are also small-ball options at that position.
Nurse said after Sunday’s overtime loss that George, who was not listed on the injury report at any point leading into the game, felt stiffness in his knee while attempting to warm up “two different times, and he just couldn’t get to where he could push off it enough or accelerate.”
Kelly Oubre Jr., who returned earlier this week from a knee injury, slid into the starting lineup in place of George.
Sixers second-year wing Justin Edwards, meanwhile, has been recalled from the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats and will be available for Sunday’s game.