Philadelphia 76ers Have Positive Joel Embiid Injury Update vs Spurs

After missing a game, Joel Embiid is expected to make his return to the Philadelphia 76ers' lineup against the Spurs.

Jan 22, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) battle for a rebound during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Monday was supposed to mark the re-evaluation date for Philadelphia 76ers center, Joel Embiid.

After suffering a sinus fracture against the Indiana Pacers two weeks ago, Embiid was initially expected to miss three games before being a question mark for the matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.

As expected, Embiid missed last Monday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on the road. He returned to practice two days later and got a couple of sessions in ahead of Friday’s rematch against the Hornets at home.

Embiid was upgraded on the injury report to questionable. He was on pace to potentially return much earlier than expected. Sure enough, Embiid was cleared for action.

Joel Embiid’s stat-line during his last matchup against Victor Wembanyama:

70 points (franchise-record)
18 rebounds
5 assists
24/41 FG | 21/23 FT
37 minutes played

His 37 minutes are the fewest played by a player to score 70+ points in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/4uwRMeM068

— Philly Sixers Galaxy (@sixers_galaxy) December 23, 2024

The big man checked in for nearly 32 minutes against the Hornets. He scored 34 points on 50 percent shooting while passing out nine assists and rebounding the ball five times. The Sixers went on to win by ten points, sweeping the Hornets for the season.

The following night, the Sixers were set to hit the road to face the Cleveland Cavaliers. Embiid was not part of the action. As expected, he got a rest night. While Embiid was a player to keep an eye on ahead of Monday’s game against the Spurs, there aren’t any worries about his playing status.

The seven-time All-Star is set to play in his fourth game this month. According to the NBA’s official injury report, Embiid is listed as available. While he’s still listed with a right sinus fracture, which will require him to remain masked up, Embiid is getting the green light to play after getting the night off.

This season, Embiid has seven appearances under his belt. The big man is knocking down 43 percent of his shots from the field to average 22 points per game. He’s also producing seven rebounds and five assists per game this year.

The Sixers and the Spurs are scheduled for a 7 PM ET tip-off on Monday night.