Joel Embiid will not play in Wednesday night’s game against the Knicks, marking the second consecutive game missed due to soreness in his right knee, as reported by the Philadelphia 76ers and Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.
Marc Stein from the Stein Line mentions that Embiid will be reevaluated after the All-Star weekend, giving him a week to rest and recover.
Neubeck notes that the team is not overly concerned about Embiid’s knee at this time, a view supported by The Athletic’s Tony Jones, who describes the situation as “precautionary.”
“It’s bothering him enough that he’s not playing,” said coach Nick Nurse. “I think it is improving a little bit, it’s just not quite there to get out there tonight.”
Despite uncertainties about his playing time at the start of the season, the former MVP has delivered a strong performance for the 30-23 Sixers, averaging 26.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks over 31 games this season, with an average of 31.4 minutes per game, surpassing his statistics from 19 games last year.
In Monday’s game against the Trail Blazers, Andre Drummond stepped in as the starting center in Embiid’s absence, contributing 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Adem Bona will take over the backup center role and is set to start on Wednesday night against the Knicks, according to Jones.