76ers Rule Joel Embiid Out for Tuesday's Game vs. Suns
On Tuesday, the Philadelphia 76ers will face the Phoenix Suns without their starting center, Joel Embiid. Now, the Sixers are down both of their All-Stars as Ben Simmons is also expected to miss the rest of the regular season as he underwent surgery to repair the subluxation on his left kneecap on Monday.
As for Embiid's setback, the superstar big man is dealing with an undiagnosed ankle injury, which he suffered on Sunday night. During the matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, Embiid went up for a block attempt while on defense and landed awkwardly, which caused him to roll his ankle.
Although Embiid managed to stay in the game for a bit, it was clear he was in pain as he wasn't moving full speed up and down the court after the injury occurred. Six minutes into the game, Embiid left the court and was ruled out for the rest of the matchup.
While Embiid did manage to make it back to the Sixers' bench after taking an extended trip to the locker room, the 76ers had no intention of putting him back in the game. And on Tuesday, Embiid will remain out as the Sixers take on the Phoenix Suns.
According to a Sixers spokesperson, Embiid will spend Monday's practice session undergoing treatment and evaluation on his injured ankle. His status for the rest of the regular season games will remain up in the air. Sixers head coach Brett Brown offered some hope of seeing Embiid one more time before the playoffs begin, but he couldn't make any guarantees. As it stands, the rest of Embiid's regular season is in question.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_