Any joy Philadelphia 76ers fans were feeling after Tyrese Maxey was announced as an All-Star reserve was unfortunately short lived. According to multiple reports, an MRI revealed Joel Embiid suffered a meniscus injury in the team’s loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer was first to report the news.
Sixers center Joel Embiid’s MRI following Tuesday’s game and further evaluation over the last 24 hours revealed an injury to the lateral meniscus in his left knee, according to a team official. Embiid will be sidelined through the weekend while a treatment plan is finalized.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) February 2, 2024
Embiid was already dealing with nagging knee soreness over the past few weeks. After missing games against the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers, he attempted to come back and play against the Warriors. He clearly did not look right physically, and that was before the gruesome play that happened late in the fourth quarter. Warriors’ forward Jonathan Kuminga fell on Embiid’s knee while diving for a loose ball.
Joel Embiid is down and holding his knee pic.twitter.com/Aigap7Ch4l
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 31, 2024
The play caused Embiid to suffer an additional meniscus injury. It is not clear how long he will be out due to the meniscus injury he suffered against the Warriors. Pompey reports Embiid will be sidelined at least through the weekend as the team finalizes a treatment plan. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski added that “there’s still uncertainty about how the Sixers’ medical staff, several specialists and Embiid will move forward to treat the injured meniscus.”
The uncertainty surrounding Embiid’s latest knee injury casts a large shadow over the Sixers’ organization. How much time he misses can potentially affect what the team does at the upcoming Feb. 8 trade deadline. If he misses significant time, the Sixers will likely fall far down the Eastern Conference standings. They have already been passed by the New York Knicks, who have won their last eight games, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The next few days and weeks are going to be immensely difficult for everyone in the Sixers’ organization. Much is riding on what happens with Embiid’s injury and how the team chooses to treat it.
