Joel Embiid’s Official Playing Status for Nuggets-76ers

Could Joel Embiid return to face the Nuggets on Friday?
Jan 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) walks off the court after a victory against the Denver Nuggets at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jan 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) walks off the court after a victory against the Denver Nuggets at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Friday night marked another opportunity for the Philadelphia 76ers to potentially welcome back their star center, Joel Embiid.

For the time being, the Sixers will continue to roll without the big man as they take on the Denver Nuggets.

According to the official NBA injury report, Embiid has been ruled out due to knee injury management. The absence marks Embiid’s 14th in a row.

It remains unclear when the Sixers are planning for Embiid’s return to action.

At one point during the stretch, Embiid was ramping up to potentially get back out on the court at some point during a three-game road trip. However, he dealt with another setback.

Dating back to Christmas Day, Embiid battled a foot sprain after the matchup against the Boston Celtics. He played in four games with it, but missed the January 6 action against the Phoenix Suns.

After spending six games sidelined due to a sprained foot, Embiid participated in a private workout to see where he was at. Although he was cleared from a foot sprain, the veteran experienced swelling in the knee once again.

The Sixers ruled Embiid out for the next three games, which took place on the road. He missed an additional two games against the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers late last week and did not participate in the team’s practice session this past Monday.

Ahead of Tuesday’s action against the Los Angeles Lakers, Embiid was ruled out for two more games. Without an official update, the Sixers ruled out Embiid against the Nuggets.

Lately, Philadelphia has been on a tear. They’ve won their last four games. However, when they faced the Nuggets 10 days ago, the suffered a 35-point beatdown. Without Embiid on the floor, the Sixers will certainly have their hands tied with Denver in South Philly on Friday.

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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