Sixers' Joel Embiid Doubtful for Game 5 vs. Wizards

Sixers center Joel Embiid is unlikely to play on Wednesday night against the Wizards.

The Philadelphia 76ers are unlikely to have Joel Embiid available to play on Wednesday night as they're set to return home for Game 5 against the Washington Wizards. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sixers' MVP finalist is doubtful for the matchup after receiving an MRI on his knee Tuesday.

Embiid entered Monday night’s game on the road totally healthy. Ever since the playoffs got started last weekend, the Sixers’ big man hasn’t dealt with any setbacks. However, that all changed on Monday night as the 76ers and the Wizards met for Game 4 in the first round.

Embiid appeared on the floor for 11 minutes in the first quarter. He shot 2-for-6 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line during that time, collecting eight points. Unfortunately, during one of his missed attempts from the field, the big man came crashing hard down on the floor as he made an aggressive drive to the rim.

It seemed Embiid had hurt his back as he kept grabbing at it during the next timeout. Although he looked like he was in pain, the Sixers kept Embiid on the floor for another few minutes before eventually taking him out of the game for his first breather of the matchup. Little did everybody know, his 11-minute shift would be it for the night.

After coming out of the game, Embiid followed trainers back to the visitor’s locker room to get checked out. As he underwent undisclosed evaluations, the Sixers continued the second quarter without him. Eventually, the first half wrapped up without Embiid making a single appearance on the floor. In addition, the Sixers had yet to divulge an update on his status.

During halftime, the team ruled him out for the remainder of the game, officially, as the big man was shockingly dealing with knee soreness. Following the game, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers admitted he didn’t know much about Embiid’s setback. 

As he was focused on closing out the matchup, attempting to complete the sweep, he didn’t have the opportunity to receive any information regarding the All-Star’s status. Instead, Rivers just revealed the team would likely have the big man undergo an MRI on Tuesday morning to ensure he's fine.

While Embiid's MRI results are currently unknown, the Sixers will likely remain extremely cautious with the big man as they possess a 3-1 lead over the Wizards heading into Game 5. In the meantime, he'll be re-evaluated over the next 24 hours, a Sixers team official says. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.