WASHINGTON — Joel Embiid will miss the 76ers’ game at the Wizards on Wednesday with an sickness, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey confirmed to The Inquirer Wednesday afternoon.
Morey’s affirmation when reached by The Inquirer got here after Embiid took to social media to refute the crew’s official designation that he had been dominated out for the game. Embiid stated he performed by means of the sickness in Miami and meant to do the identical in Washington. Embiid tweeted later Wednesday night, following Morey’s affirmation, “I guess they won’t let me play basketball!!”
Morey stated that, after Embiid couldn’t attend Wednesday morning’s movie session, the Sixers determined he ought to get the sickness checked out by a health care provider and dominated him out for the game. Morey and coach Nick Nurse didn’t present particulars in regards to the signs Embiid is experiencing.
“He obviously played the other night through some of it,” Nurse added throughout his pregame information convention. “But they just decided that, a couple days here in a row [of feeling ill], that needed to get checked out.”
The Sixers have been additionally scheduled to have a shootaround Wednesday morning at Capital One Arena, however as an alternative held an prolonged movie session at the crew resort and an non-compulsory particular person taking pictures session. Embiid’s basketball sneakers have been laid out at a courtside seat when media arrived at the sector, earlier than the crew shootaround was canceled.
Embiid beforehand stated after the Sixers’ Monday loss to the Miami Heat that he was sick throughout that game, after totaling 26 factors on 10-of-25 taking pictures.
“Physically, I just was not in it,” Embiid stated after then.
Embiid then was not listed on the NBA’s harm report launched Tuesday evening as a result of, in line with Morey, the middle’s well being was trending in a optimistic path and the crew didn’t consider his availability for Wednesday’s game can be affected. He then wakened sick once more Wednesday morning.
Without Embiid, Adem Bona is more likely to begin at middle. Veteran Andre Drummond can also be obtainable, and Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow are choices as small-ball facilities. The Wizards (17-58) are one of many NBA’s worst groups, and are tanking because the common season winds down.
This absence happens shortly after the previous NBA Most Valuable Player returned on March 25 from an indirect pressure in his proper aspect that saved him sidelined for a month. Before that harm, Embiid was coping with a stress response in his proper shin in addition to a proper knee challenge. Prior to that, he regarded like his dominant self throughout a shock begin to the season. Embiid is averaging 26.9 factors, 7.4 rebounds, and three.9 assists in 36 video games.
This is the newest injury-affected season for Embiid, who was restricted to 19 video games in 2024-25 and missed greater than two months in 2023-24 due to a number of surgical procedures on his left knee.
The Sixers (41-34) are in a decent race for postseason positioning with seven video games remaining. They enter Wednesday in seventh place within the Eastern Conference, one game again of the sixth-place Toronto Raptors and one game forward of the eighth-place Orlando Magic.
