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Joel Embiid’s Playing Status in Question for 76ers-Nets

Joel Embiid could miss the Philadelphia 76ers' matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.

Justin Grasso

Nov 19, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Nov 19, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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Another game, another day, Joel Embiid pops up on the Philadelphia 76ers’ injury report. This time, Embiid is in danger of missing the matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.

For most of the 2024-2025 NBA season, Embiid has been questionable to play in matchups for the Sixers. When he entered training camp, Embiid revealed he had a plan to manage last season’s knee injury throughout the year in order to make sure he’s healthy for playoffs.

Taking more time off didn’t exactly help Embiid out the way he had hoped it would. At this stage in the season, Embiid has dealt with three setbacks. The first was swelling in his knee after appearing in four games.

The second was a sinus fracture, which occurred during the December 13 loss against the Indiana Pacers. The third and most recent is a sprained foot, which occurred on December 25 before the Boston matchup.

According to the official NBA injury report, Embiid is questionable due to the sinus fracture and the foot sprain. He’s likely a game-time decision against Brooklyn on Saturday.

When the Sixers faced the Nets back on November 22, Embiid was not a part of the action. While he appeared in the three games prior, Embiid was downgraded ahead of the Brooklyn matchup as he experienced swelling in his knee.

As the Sixers participated in their 15-point victory over the Nets, the Sixers revealed Embiid would miss a few games as he recovered. The big man ended up missing seven games in a row before returning to action on December 8.

Since getting back on the court last month, Embiid has appeared in eight games. Seeing the court for a little under 30 minutes per game, Embiid has averaged 26 points, eight rebounds, and four assists per game. From the field, he’s been knocking down 48 percent of his shots and draining 39 percent of his threes on four attempts per game.

The Sixers and the Nets are slated for a 6 PM ET tip-off on Saturday.

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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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