Joel Embiid Speaks Out About Injury After Bulls Matchup

Sixers center Joel Embiid discussed his recent setback after the win over the Bulls on Friday.

Although the Philadelphia 76ers had a 28-point lead over the Chicago Bulls coming out of halftime, seeing Paul Reed get the nod to start over Joel Embiid was a head-scratcher. 

At the time, there wasn’t a noticeable incident where Embiid seemed to have suffered a setback. Yet, his absence still had fans worried that an injury might’ve occurred.

The first update regarding Embiid didn’t come until the final minutes of the third quarter. According to the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast team, Embiid was unlikely to return to the court due to the Sixers’ notable lead over the Bulls.

Then during the final moments of the game, another update offered a reason to be concerned.

According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, Embiid was dealing with mild right calf tightness. Considering the team reportedly expects Embiid to play in Friday’s game against the Golden State Warriors, Embiid’s absence during the second half of Wednesday’s game was likely precautionary.

After the game, Doc Rivers addressed the situation.

“Not much," Rivers told reporters during his postgame press conference when asked about his concern level regarding Embiid's setback. "I think he’ll be ready for the next game. It’s just a precaution. We had a lead, you know, felt like we could hold it and whenever you hear calf, you just say, ‘That's it,’ but I’m not concerned. 

…

“I think he's just fine. It was very mild, and we're about to go into three games. You know, we're on a road trip, about to go West on a long flight. We just thought it was the right thing to do. The flight, four hours in the air, makes you tighter, so we just felt like it was the right thing to do.”

Shortly after Rivers spoke, Embiid fielded questions about his recent setback himself, according to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Embiid: "Like I always say, it’s all about the playoffs. Trying to make sure that I get there healthy. We’re just gonna see how it goes the next few days.'

When asked if he thinks he'll play Friday, he said "likely."

"If it feels good, of course I want to play." https://t.co/EvgwpSAjBw

— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell) March 23, 2023

"Like I always say, it’s all about the playoffs,” Embiid told reporters, per Mizell. “Trying to make sure that I get there healthy. We’re just gonna see how it goes the next few days. …. If it feels good, of course I want to play."

With ten games left to go, the Sixers have reached the final phase of the regular season. Considering they clinched a playoff berth on Tuesday night with a Cleveland Cavaliers win over the Brooklyn Nets, Embiid and the Sixers have to be as cautious as possible when it comes to health.

For now, the team is operating as if Embiid will play on Friday against Golden State. However, Embiid’s status will ultimately depend on how he feels over the next two days. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.