Joel Embiid
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Joel Embiid has been playing under a minutes restriction this season.
The West Coast trip for the Philadelphia 76ers continues on Thursday, March 18, with a game against the Sacramento Kings.
Coming off a disappointing 124-96 shorthanded loss against the Denver Nuggets, the Sixers are getting a more favorable opponent in Sacramento.
However, injury concerns are still very much in play for Philadelphia.
76ers Reveal Joel Embiid’s Status vs. Sacramento Kings
Joel Embiid
GettyJoel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers has been plagued by injuries this season.
Joel Embiid is entering Thursday’s game listed on the injury report as doubtful. While that’s a small step in the right direction, he’s unlikely to play.
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Joel Embiid (oblique) listed doubtful for Thursday.
This season, Embiid has battled numerous setbacks.
Entering the year, his knee was the primary concern, considering he underwent two surgeries on it in under two years. Fortunately, Embiid was able to debut with the 76ers after missing the entire preseason.
He was able to stay on the court consistently until November 9. At that point, Embiid went out for several weeks with knee soreness. A corner was turned in December and throughout January. While there were scattered absences, Embiid was finally finding consistency.
Unfortunately, he hit another bump in the road before the NBA All-Star break. The star center missed the two games leading up to the break, and missed the first three games coming out of it due to a knee and shin concern. On February 24, Embiid returned against the Indiana Pacers.
During the star center’s second game back against the Miami Heat, he suffered a new injury. Embiid was hit with his oblique strain during his 31-minute showing against Miami. He’s been out for the past 10 games.
Last weekend, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse noted that Embiid would miss the team’s back-to-back set, which included games against Brooklyn and Portland. He left the door open for Embiid to potentially return on the West Coast road trip. The first game is in the bag, and Embiid was out against Denver.
The second game’s status isn’t totally decided yet, but the Sixers have an idea they might be without their star center again.
Sixers Slipping In The Standings
Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers.
GettyTyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Unsurprisingly, the Sixers have been much better with Embiid on the court this season. They are 21-12 when he’s playing. They’ve won just 44% of the games he didn’t play.
But Embiid’s injury isn’t the only issue for the 76ers at the moment. Three starters (Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre, and Paul George) are all out for extended periods.
Heading into the Sacramento game, the Sixers are ninth in the Eastern Conference. They trail the Atlanta Hawks, who have won 10 games in a row, by 0.5 games. The Charlotte Hornets, who are 7-3 over their last 10 games, are within two games of the 76ers.
The Sixers will see if they can help their case with a game against the West’s worst on Thursday. They are slated for a 10 PM ET tip against the 18-52 Kings on March 19.