Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
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The Philadelphia 76ers have a fantastic player in Joel Embiid, but he's been riddled with injuries as of late.
The Philadelphia 76ers haven’t had Joel Embiid on the court in quite a while.
The last time the Sixers’ star center played was during the team’s February 26 matchup against the Miami Heat.
At the time, Embiid checked in for 31 minutes. He left the game at a point after getting injured, but returned to finish with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. The Sixers defeated the Miami Heat 127-117.
Ahead of the following game against the Boston Celtics, Embiid was ruled out. It ended up being the first absence of many, as the star center suffered an oblique strain.
76ers Get Joel Embiid Update Before Utah Jazz Game
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 24: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the second half against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 24, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The Sixers took on the Utah Jazz on the road on Saturday, March 21.
Joel Embiid was out of the lineup for the 12th game in a row.
Before the game tipped off, an update regarding the status of the star center surfaced.
via Gina Mizell, Philadelphia Inquirer: Per a league source: Joel Embiid (oblique) has not had a setback, but is still working through some soreness before he is cleared. He had another on-court workout yesterday.
Before the Sixers opened up their back-to-back set against the Brooklyn Nets last weekend, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse noted that Embiid could potentially return during the team’s road trip out West.
The trip came and went, and Embiid remains off the court.
The Sixers still haven’t posted a return date for Embiid, but it seems they are leaving their options open for a possible return on Monday, March 23, depending on how his next couple of workouts go in between games.
What’s Next For The Sixers?
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. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The Sixers squeezed out a 126-116 victory over the Jazz on Saturday night.
They improved to 39-32 on the season, which moved them up to seventh in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers have two victories in a row and are winners of six of their last 10 despite dealing with a long list of setbacks.
Next, the Sixers have to face the Western Conference’s top team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, on their home court in South Philly. The game marks the first return of Jared McCain since the February trade went down.
Will it also mark the return of Embiid? The Sixers can’t say. Perhaps, they’ll have a detailed update before Monday. If he can’t get the nod to play, then the Sixers will eye the Wednesday, March 25, matchup against the Chicago Bulls as their next possible opportunity to roll Embiid back out.
This year, Embiid has played in 33 games. The star center has posted 26.6 points per game, along with 7.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game.