Joel Embiid hasn't been on the court for the Philadelphia 76ers for quite some time.
Last week, the veteran center reported to the Sixers' medical staff that he was dealing with soreness in his knee. While it wasn't the same knee that required two surgeries in less than two years, it still generated enough concern to get an MRI done. Everything came back clear from the imaging, but Embiid still wasn't cleared to play.
Wednesday's game against the Toronto Raptors marked the fifth game in a row that Embiid sat out. Considering it was the first night of a back-to-back, the big man would inevitably miss one of those games. It left the door open for a potential return against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
Joel Embiid's Playing Status for 76ers vs Bucks
The Sixers don’t seem ready to roll Embiid back out just yet. According to the official NBA injury report, Embiid is going to miss another game due to injury management. That leaves Sunday as Embiid’s next potential return.
Embiid started the season off on the right foot. He played in the first two games of the season before getting his first game of rest on October 27 against the Orlando Magic.
The big man returned to the court for three of the next four games. He was out for the second game of a back-to-back set, which took place on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Embiid's latest appearance occurred on November 8, against the Raptors. His minutes remained in the 25 range, but he was still extremely productive during that time. As a plus-15 on the court, Embiid produced 29 points, six rebounds, and four assists in the 130-120 win over the Raptors.
Since then, the Sixers have had a trend of win one, lose one. They suffered two losses to the Detroit Pistons, along with the latest loss to the Raptors. They beat the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Clippers without Embiid during this current stretch of games.
On Thursday, the Sixers and the Bucks are slated for an 8 PM ET tip.
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