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Joel Embiid will miss the Philadelphia 76ers' next game, a matchup on Thursday night against the Utah Jazz, as he navigates a worrisome knee injury, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Wojnarowski adds that Embiid will travel back to Philadelphia to undergo further testing on his left knee. The superstar missed two games due to soreness in the knee and looked much less mobile in his return in Philly's loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. Jonathan Kuminga falling on Embiid's left knee in the fight for a loose ball left Embiid writhing in pain, ending his game after just under 30 minutes.
The 76ers have fallen to the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference after losing four consecutive games. Philly has a record of 3-9 in games without Joel Embiid, who has dealt with knee soreness and numerous other injuries this season. His absence in the matchup against Utah, the final stop of a five-game road trip, will be his 13th missed game of the 2023-24 campaign.
Per Sixers official:
Joel Embiid (left knee injury) is out for tomorrow night’s game vs. Utah. He will receive further evaluation over the next 24 hours. Updates will be provided as appropriate.
— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) January 31, 2024
The 76ers have been without Tyrese Maxey for two straight games due to a left ankle sprain. Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters that Maxey is “close” and that he was hoping he would be able to return in the game against the Warriors. The return of the star guard will be needed even more as Embiid potentially misses multiple games again.
Joel Embiid is running out of allotted missed games under the new requirement of 65 games played for postseason awards. Not counting the upcoming matchup with the Jazz, the 76ers big man can only miss four more games with 35 left in the season. Should he qualify, he is in line to win the MVP award for the second straight year.
