Joel Embiid (right knee) is listed as doubtful to make his return from a four-game absence when the Sixers host the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night in the first leg of their back-to-back,according to the team's injury report for the game unveiled on Tuesday evening:
Embiid last played when the Raptors were in town for the first time on Nov. 8. He sat the next day on the second leg of that weekend's back-to-back, and was set to return to action on Nov. 11. But at the team's morning shootaround before facing the Boston Celtics, Embiid reported soreness in his right knee – specifically not the left knee which has been the subject of lots of scrutiny and multiple surgeries in recent years. This would be Embiid's fourth missed game in a row due to the right knee issue, which Sixers head coach Nick Nurse has repeatedly described as day-to-day after imaging revealed no structural damage. But Embiid being listed as anything other than out is generally a positive indicator.
George made his season debut on Monday night after missing the first 12 games of the season with the designation of "left knee surgery recovery" after the nine-time All-Star suffered an offseason injury to the same knee he hurt twice during aninjury-plagued debut season in Philadelphia. George was on a strict minutes restriction, and Nurse acknowledged on Tuesday afternoon that George was not going to play in both legs of this back-to-back.
Elsewhere, Kelly Oubre Jr. remains out with a left knee injury he suffered during the Sixers' loss to the Detroit Pistons on Friday night. On two occasions in as many days, Nurse has said that Oubre is meeting with doctors and that a more substantial update on his status will be provided shortly. The extent of his injury remains unclear as of this writing, though the team did clarify that it is an LCL injury. Adem Bona, who sprained his right ankle on Friday in Detroit, has already been ruled out for Wednesday's game and the Sixers' road contest the following night, when they face the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice