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76ers Coach Provides Positive Injury Update Joel Embiid, Paul George

Nick Nurse talked about Joel Embiid and Paul George before the 76ers' matchup against the LA Clippers.

Justin Grasso

Nov 18, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on after the game against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Nov 18, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on after the game against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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Wednesday night’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies came with a lot more than just another loss on the record for the Philadelphia 76ers.

During the third quarter, the Sixers watched their new nine-time All-Star, Paul George, injure his knee as he came down with a rebound on the defensive end. The situation looked similar to when George suffered a bone bruise against the Atlanta Hawks during the preseason.

After going back to the Sixers’ locker room to get his knee checked out, the medical staff considered George to be dealing with a hyperextended knee. After the game, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse confirmed that the team was under the belief the setback would be the same this time around.

An MRI confirmed there was no structural damage to George’s knee. Once again, George was diagnosed with a bone bruise and ruled out for the matchups against the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers. While George hasn’t been playing in games, he’s progressing well, according to Nurse.

“Paul [George] was on the court and doing some work,” Nurse said on Sunday ahead of the Clippers matchup. The veteran wing should have a better idea of his timeline at the top of the new week.

George wasn’t the only player to deal with a setback in Memphis. The Sixers’ veteran center Joel Embiid has been dealing with swelling in his knee since the matchup. Similar to George, Embiid was ruled out for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles matchups.

“I just talked to Joel [Embiid] a few hours ago earlier today,” Nurse explained. “He’s feeling a little better—swelling is getting better.”

Considering Embiid has just a handful of appearances through the first month of the season, the process of getting back to fully healthy has been a tough one for the entire team to navigate. Nurse feels he is handling the situation well so far.

“Things go up and down, and we are trying to keep things level, right? I think he has kept things pretty level,” Nuse explained. “He’s been very communicative and seems to be okay. I mean, he understands that we’re trying to figure this out as we go here, and he also understands that the team is not getting good results, right? So, there’s a lot to talk about.”

Similar to George, Embiid will get checked out again early next week. The Sixers have a couple of days to figure out the availability of the All-Stars for Wednesday’s game against the Houston Rockets.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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