76ers Explain Joel Embiid’s Absence vs. Jazz on Saturday

Despite returning to the Philadelphia 76ers’ lineup after a multi-game absence before the New Year, Joel Embiid was back on the injury report for Saturday’s game against the Utah Jazz.

That wasn’t initially the case on Saturday morning. Coming off of a blowout loss to the New York Knicks on Friday night, Embiid’s absence on the injury report was a positive sign he would play in both matchups of the back-to-back as Sixers head coach Nick Nurse expected.

However, there was a setback. A few hours before the Sixers tipped off, Embiid was downgraded to questionable due to knee soreness. When the team announced its starting five a half hour before tipping off against the Jazz, Embiid was officially deemed inactive.

The Latest on Embiid’s Setback

Following Friday night’s loss to the Knicks, Joel Embiid acknowledged that he twisted his knee and favored it at times during the matchup. 

While Embiid confirmed he dealt with a bit of an in-game setback, he didn’t display any concerns,

“I think I should be fine, but I think I twisted it a little bit,” Embiid said. “I think I’ll be fine.”

Before Saturday’s game against the Jazz, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse offered details on Embiid’s minor setback after he received from rest.

“They checked him out today,” the head coach told reporters, according to Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin. “They’re obviously still rehabbing continually the ankle and strengthening that. He had a little bit of swelling in the knee as well, so they’re just making sure.”

On December 22, in a matchup against the Toronto Raptors, Embiid suffered a sprained ankle. As a result, he missed the team’s next four games before returning earlier this week. Embiid mentioned he felt just fine after the win over Chicago, and that was apparent when he suited up for the battle against the Knicks.

By missing Saturday’s game versus Utah, Embiid has eight absences on the year. The Sixers will get several days off before returning to the floor midway through next week to face the Atlanta Hawks. Embiid’s status for that matchup is yet to be determined.