The Philadelphia 76ers will not have Joel Embiid to start their next road trip. The team announced that Embiid and Kyle Lowry (right hip strain) will not play in Saturday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, though Paul George and Caleb Martin may return to the lineup after they missed Wednesday’s overtime loss to the Houston Rockets.
Embiid will be listed as out on the NBA injury report with both left knee injury management and personal reasons, the team said. George (left knee bone bruise) was a full participant in the 76ers’ practice on Friday while Martin (upper back soreness) was a partial participant.
Nick Nurse told reporters that the swelling in Embiid’s knee has gone down “a bit” and that his injury “is under control pretty good” but that he’s still dealing with some soreness. The big man will miss his fourth straight game and seems unlikely to play on Tuesday against the Charlotte Hornets, the only other game on Philly’s brief trip. The Sixers’ next game after that is on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.
76ers still without Joel Embiid but may get Paul George back very soon
Nurse said that George, who has missed the last three games and is aiming to return within a week, looked good during the team’s practice. “We did do a good amount of contact and playing as well. It was good to see. He looked pretty good out there,” the head coach said.
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At 3-14, the 76ers remain the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference. Although Tyrese Maxey was pleased with how the team competed against the Rockets, they need to start winning games if they want to make it back to the playoffs. George and Martin (and Lowry) returning as soon as possible would be helpful while getting Embiid back — and keeping him in the lineup for more than a few games — is still a work in progress.
Sam DiGiovanni is a beat writer at ClutchPoints covering the Philadelphia 76ers, with expertise covering the NBA at large as well as the NFL and MLB. The Marist College graduate previously wrote for The Knicks Wall, Philly Sports Network and Center Field Marist.
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