The Philadelphia 76ers still have a Joel Embiid concern.
Although the Sixers’ star center managed to start the season healthy and available, he hasn’t been in the lineup in weeks. After undergoing two surgeries on the same knee in less than two years, Embiid is now dealing with soreness on the other side.
Heading into the Sixers’ Sunday night matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, Joel Embiid remains on the injury report.
What’s Embiid’s Early Status Against the Hawks?
The door won’t be open for a potential Embiid return to action on Sunday. The Sixers’ initial injury report lists the star big man as out, due to knee injury management.
The Sixers gathered for a Saturday morning practice following their victory on the road against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
When the 76ers’ head coach Nick Nurse was asked about Embiid’s potential status, he told reporters there was a chance, but he truly didn’t have a definitive answer.
“It’s just getting through some pain and then also some on-court activity,” Nurse said, regarding Embiid’s return process. “Kind of a combination of those things.”
Embiid was last seen in action on November 8 against the Toronto Raptors. At the time, he checked in for a season-high 25 minutes. He was efficient from the floor, going 10-16, producing 29 points. He came down with six rebounds and produced four assists.
After Embiid reported soreness in his knee, he was ruled out for the following game, and considered to be day-to-day, after MRI results came back with a clean look. Unfortunately, days turned into weeks. Friday’s outing against the Nets in Brooklyn marked the ninth game in a row that Embiid was out.
Sunday’s action against the Hawks will be an opportunity for the Sixers to build on their one win over the Nets. They could certainly use Embiid back in the mix, as their front court deals with setbacks. Adem Bona just returned from an injury, while Andre Drummond suffered one on Friday.
The Sixers are slated for a 6 PM ET tip on Sunday against the Hawks.
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