Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers received criticism for their injury report updates after the star center missed Jan. 27th’s matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. However, the situation gained clarity with a report on the status of Embiid’s knee before the game.

Joel Embiid’s plea to play through injury was vetoed by the 76ers medical staff

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne shined light on Saturday night’s injury report situation. Embiid reportedly told 76ers staff, “Don’t even put me on the injury report, I’m playing in this [Sixers-Nuggets] game,” as Shelburne explained on NBA Today.

The 29-year-old attempted to play through pain in his knee, but by the end of his warmups, he could not manage to jump off the ground. Thus, his plea to take the court was vetoed by Philly’s medical staff. Embiid’s pain was reportedly aggravated in the team’s game against the Indiana Pacers two days prior.

Nuggets head coach Mike Malone was skeptical of Embiid’s status for the Nuggets game. However, the aforementioned explanation provides context to the situation.

Regardless of how things play out, the Sixers need Joel Embiid injury-free if they want to continue their run on the Eastern Conference. The 29-year-old leads the league in scoring with 36.0 points per game to go with 11.4 rebounds per contest.

On Jan. 22nd, Embiid erupted with a historical 70-point point performance. The reigning MVP continues to show why he is forced to be reckoned with.

Embiid will have to wait until next time to settle the score with Nikola Jokic. In the meantime, the Sixers look to maintain their third-place Eastern Conference standing.