Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is slated to sit out tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks, due to the “heavy loading” in last night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Embiid played 36 minutes in a 122-112 loss to OKC, the most since — you guessed it — a 49-minute marathon in a 119-117 overtime loss to the Thunder at home on Dec. 15.
While head coach Brett Brown had assured his back-to-back limitations would be soon lifted, the Sixers had done a near-perfect job of keeping Embiid under 35 minutes per game — keeping him at that exact number of minutes in four of the last 13 games prior to Sunday night's tilt.
This one will mark the 10th game Embiid will have missed this season because of rest or minor injuries, as the team staff has played it utmost careful due to his injury history. The seven-footer also didn’t play in both games of back-to-back situations last season.
The Sixers plan to have their main horse play the upcoming back-to-back against the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers this weekend.
Embiid has averaged 23 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in January, close enough to the All-Star-caliber numbers he's put up for the Sixers this season, earning him his first call-up to the mid-February festivities.
J.J. Redick, Jerryd Bayless, Markelle Fultz, and Furkan Korkmaz all remain sidelined for Philadelphia, who will have to make due with Ben Simmons at the forefront and make the most out of Robert Covington and Dario Saric as secondary scorers.
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