Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will miss at least three upcoming games after an MRI revealed a strained right oblique muscle. The injury occurred during Thursday’s victory over Miami, and the All-Star will be re-evaluated after sitting out games against Boston, San Antonio, and Utah.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will be forced to sit out a minimum of three games following Saturday’s MRI results that showed a strained right oblique muscle, according to team officials.
The 31-year-old All-Star sustained the injury during Thursday night’s 124-117 victory over Miami at home, though he managed to complete 31 minutes of action and contributed 26 points along with 11 rebounds despite the discomfort.
The veteran big man, who has been selected to seven All-Star games but has battled various injuries throughout his career, will be absent for Sunday’s matchup at Boston, followed by consecutive home contests against San Antonio on Tuesday and Utah on Wednesday.
Currently sitting at 33-26 for the season, Philadelphia has relied heavily on Embiid’s presence, posting a 21-12 record when he plays compared to 12-14 in his absence. This campaign, he has appeared in 33 contests as a starter, putting up 26.6 points per game while grabbing 7.5 rebounds and dishing out 3.9 assists in 31.2 minutes nightly.
Last season proved particularly challenging for the big man, as knee problems limited him to just 19 appearances and required surgical intervention in April. He started this year under a minutes restriction due to the knee concerns and missed five February games because of knee and shin complications.
Throughout his professional career, Embiid has maintained impressive averages of 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.6 blocks across 485 regular season starts, spanning 31.8 minutes per contest.
His postseason numbers reflect similar production, with 24.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.7 blocks over 59 playoff starts while averaging 35.3 minutes.
The Kansas product, selected third overall by Philadelphia in the 2014 NBA Draft, earned league MVP honors during the 2022-23 campaign. His accolades include first-team All-NBA recognition in 2022-23, four additional second-team selections, and three All-Defensive second-team honors.