All 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers Keep Joel Embiid’s Status vs Suns in Question

Joel Embiid remains questionable on the Philadelphia 76ers' injury report before the action against the Phoenix Suns.

Justin Grasso

Mar 25, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives on Phoenix Suns center Bismack Biyombo (18) during the game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Coduto-Imagn Images
Mar 25, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives on Phoenix Suns center Bismack Biyombo (18) during the game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Coduto-Imagn Images / Chris Coduto-Imagn Images
In this story:

Returning home on Monday after a six-game road stint, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid isn’t guaranteed to play against the Phoenix Suns.

Once again, the Sixers are entering the matchup with the star center on the injury report. That’s been the trend for multiple weeks at this point in time.

The good news is that the Sixers have had Embiid available for most games since December 8. However, he’s still dealing with numerous setbacks amid a season where he planned to be extremely cautious after undergoing surgery for a knee injury one season ago.

Embiid is questionable for the action on Monday night. He’s likely to be a game-time decision, leaving his status based on how he feels after going through his pregame warmup routine.

After missing time earlier this year due to knee injury management, along with swelling and soreness in the knee, Embiid added two more setbacks to the list over time.

When the Sixers hosted the Indiana Pacers on December 13, the veteran center checked out after 17 minutes. He was dealing with a facial injury, which was diagnosed as a sinus fracture. The expectation was that Embiid would miss at least one week of action, equal to three games. He returned after missing just one matchup.

On Christmas Day, Embiid started dealing with another setback. Preparing for a matchup against the Boston Celtics, the seven-time All-Star sprained his foot. He still competed for 30 minutes against the Celtics, helping the Sixers pick up a tight win.

Since returning to action after the sinus fracture, Embiid has played in all but two of the Sixers’ last nine games. Over that stretch, the former MVP posted averages of 28 points, eight rebounds, four assists, ne steal, and one block.

The three-level scorer is knocking down shots from the field at a 48 percent clip and draining 50 percent of his threes across the past seven games.

The Sixers and the Suns will tip-off at 7 PM ET.

Published
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

Home/News