Doc Rivers Addresses Joel Embiid's Injury After 76ers Beat Bulls

Doc Rivers discusses Joel Embiid's injury after the 76ers' win over the Bulls.

Joel Embiid’s absence in the second half of Wednesday night’s matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls left many concerned as to whether he suffered a setback or not.

When the Sixers entered the second half, they held a notable 76-48 lead over Chicago. At the start of the third quarter, Paul Reed, not Embiid, got the nod to start.

The Sixers’ All-Star big man wasn’t on the bench with the team, which was a cause for concern. As the game progressed, reports indicated that Embiid was “unlikely to return” due to a “score differential.”

However, there was an injury update on Embiid as the game concluded.

The Sixers say Joel Embiid, who didn’t play in the second half of tonight’s blowout win in Chicago, has mild right calf tightness, and is expected to play Friday at Golden State.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) March 23, 2023

According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, the Sixers confirmed that Embiid was dealing with right calf tightness. While he missed the entire second half of Wednesday’s win over Chicago, Bontemps added that Embiid is “expected to play” in Philadelphia’s Friday night matchup against the Golden State Warriors.

“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.”

It’s unclear when Embiid started battling calf tightness. In the first half of Wednesday’s game, he checked in for a little over 16 minutes. During that time, he put up seven shots from the field, draining 71 percent of his attempts. He scored 12 points.

In addition to his scoring, Embiid dished out seven assists and came down with seven rebounds on the defensive end. He also snatched one steal and blocked one shot.

Without Embiid, the Sixers took care of business and got revenge against the Bulls in Chicago. By the end of the night, the Sixers picked up a 116-91 victory. They are set to continue their road trip on Friday with a matchup against the Golden State Warriors. 

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