The injury bug has hit the Philadelphia 76ers once again. The team announced star center Joel Embiid is going to miss the team’s next two games with a left mid-foot sprain. He will be re-evaluated in the coming days.
The injury occurred in the second half of the Sixers’ loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Embiid rolled his ankle and went down to the floor before eventually regaining his feet and staying in the game. Embiid has been red hot of late, leading the Sixers to a 4-2 record in their last six games. During that stretch, he was averaging 37.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. Leaving the floor due to injury right when he was rounding into dominant form will be tough for Embiid.
The Sixers’ next two games are a back-to-back set against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday and the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. The matchup with the Nets was going to be a marquee matchup packed with interesting storylines. However, the matchup will have a lot less glamour due to the Sixers being without Embiid, James Harden (right foot tendon strain) and Tyrese Maxey (small fracture in left foot). There is still at least one reason to watch: Ben Simmons is making his return to the court in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia faithful will be sure to give him a hostile welcome.
The injuries are beginning to pile up for the Sixers, who currently are 8-8 this season. Their regular starting lineup has not gotten much time to gel on the floor, playing just 114:05 together this season.
There was also reportedly some more positive news on the injury front for the Sixers coming out of Monday’s practice. According to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Noah Levick, Tobias Harris did participate in some of practice and is hopeful to play against the Nets. He missed the prior two games with left hip soreness. Also, Harden was spotted doing some work on the treadmill, a positive sign he is making progress towards returning to the lineup.
The next few games are going to be incredibly tough for the Sixers. Head coach Doc Rivers is going to have to put together some unwieldy lineup combinations. At this point, the hope is to make it through the next few games with no more injuries.
