76ers News: Joel Embiid is a Late Scratch vs Denver Nuggets

Embiid was originally not listed on the injury report, but things changed later in the day. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the training staff grew concerned after watching him go through warm-ups. Because of this, they opted to have the reigning MVP sit out against the Nuggets. Other notable names sidelined in this game include Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris. 

With Embiid out, it makes a total of seven players who will not play against the defending champions. Along with the big three, De'Anthony Melton, Mo Bamba , Robert Covington, and two-way player Kenny Lofton are out. 

This game was scheduled as part of the NBA's "Rivals Week," but now will not feature the pair of superstar big men. When these teams faced off two weeks ago in Philly, Embiid and Jokic both delivered big time performances. 

Now incredibly shorthanded, the Sixers supporting cast will have to band together to stay competitive against the Nuggets. Nick Nurse will have to go deep into his bench in this game, giving guys like Jaden Springer and KJ Martin a chance to play some extended minutes. 

Aside from not matching up against Jokic, the key storyline in this is Embiid's MVP eligibility. As he misses another game, he is coming closer to potentially not reaching the 65-game requirement for seasonal awards.