Joel Embiid’s Concerning Absence Carries Into 76ers'...

By Justin Grasso

Contributing Sports Writer

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Joel Embiid will miss another matchup for the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday afternoon.

With the Miami Heat in town, the Sixers will close out their weekly slate still wondering about the availability of Embiid, who started the season off healthy but is dealing with complications in the knee that didn’t need surgery twice over the past two seasons.

The Sixers didn’t even leave the door open for Embiid to possibly return on Sunday. Heading into the November 19 matchup against the Toronto Raptors, the Sixers upgraded Embiid to doubtful. Considering it was the first game of a back-to-back set, it seemed there was a chance Embiid could make his return in Milwaukee on November 20.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Embiid was ruled out on the Sixers’ initial injury report. Following a practice session on Saturday, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse spoke on Embiid’s status at this point.

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"I think we're trying to take the best care we can of him and get him out there,” the head coach told reporters. “He wants to play. He's being very diligent. He's all this stuff. He's doing a lot to try to get back on the floor, and I think it'll be soon. I know this has been a long. I think it'll be soon,’ but just keep doing the right things and keep listening to what the doctors tell us."

Earlier this month, Embiid reported knee soreness to the medical team. While the Sixers had him undergo an MRI, the team was relieved to find out there was no structural damage. The star big man just needed to rest and recover to shake the soreness.

He hasn’t played in a game since the November 8 matchup against the Toronto Raptors. While Embiid has practiced during this current window of absences, the Sixers haven’t put a target date in place for his return just yet.

Sunday’s game will mark the seventh game in a row that Embiid will be out. The Sixers have a bout with the Miami Heat, searching for their second-straight win. Since Embiid has been out, the Sixers have won every other game. They hold a total record of 5-4 when the former MVP is off the court.

While the Sixers have been able to survive the non-Embiid stretch this season, they could still use his contributions. In six games, he has averaged 19.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks. He hasn’t exceeded 25 minutes of action in a single game yet this season.

After the Sixers take on the Heat on Sunday, they’ll go toe-to-toe with the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. Embiid’s status will be played day by day.

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