PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 22: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the first half against the Houston Rockets at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
When the Philadelphia 76ers take the court on Wednesday night to face the Utah Jazz at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Pennsylvania, the home team will miss several players.
The Sixers’ star center, Joel Embiid, is among those who will be sidelined against Utah. That was expected to be the case, as Embiid has been dealing with an oblique injury since late last week.
Although Embiid had a long stretch of games without consecutive absences, the trend was broken in early February. After the big man checked in for 33 minutes against the Phoenix Suns on February 7, Embiid was ruled out for the next two games leading up to the NBA All-Star break.
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At the time, Embiid was dealing with knee soreness, which has been a common concern for the past two seasons. The Sixers hoped to have Embiid back on the court after the break, but a separate setback, paired with the knee concern, prevented Embiid from returning on February 19. He would miss the first three games coming out of the break.
On February 24, Embiid returned to the Sixers’ lineup to take on the Indiana Pacers. He was on a restriction, checking in for just 26 minutes. The star center shot 11-17 from the field to score 27 points. He also logged six rebounds, five assists, and one block.
When the Sixers hosted the Miami Heat two nights later, Embiid was cleared for action once again and played for 31 minutes. The star center produced 26 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.
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GettyBOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 22: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics after the game at TD Garden on October 22, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
During the 124-117 victory over the Heat, Embiid left the game momentarily to get checked out. He was diagnosed with a strain leading up to the March 1 matchup on the road against the Boston Celtics. The Sixers reported that Embiid would miss at least the next three games, ruling him out against the Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and the Jazz.
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Unfortunately, the Sixers couldn’t overcome the absence of Embiid in either matchup. Against the Celtics, the Sixers came up short with a 114-98 loss. On Tuesday night, they opened up a back-to-back set with a blowout 131-91 loss against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
After the Sixers take on the Jazz at 7:30 PM ET on Wednesday, the next chance Embiid will get to take the court will be on Saturday, March 7, when they pay a visit to the Atlanta Hawks. Embiid’s status for that game is currently up in the air.