Joel Embiid left Tuesday night’s matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets with an injury scare.

As the Sixers and the Nets battled it out in the third quarter, Embiid took a hard fall and was seen grabbing at his knee. The veteran center was clearly in pain.

Fortunately, Embiid managed to get up and walk off the court on his own power. However, he was noticeably hobbled as he slowly exited the court. Andre Drummond came in to back up the veteran center while Embiid went straight back to the Sixers’ locker room to get checked out.

Joel Embiid Returned to Action vs. Brooklyn Nets

Not long after Embiid left the matchup, he was back on the Sixers’ bench. His knees were wrapped, but his quick return was a positive sign that the scare wasn’t anything more than that. The Sixers trotted the center back out on the court late in the third quarter as they trailed Brooklyn by double digits.

After the game, Embiid told reporters that he “just hyperextended” his knee. After a quick evaluation in the locker room, Embiid clearly felt fine enough to get back out on the court. The Sixers will continue to monitor his health as they get some time off.

Entering the matchup, Embiid was listed on the injury report as probable. Lately, he’s been dealing with an illness, in addition to being on an injury recovery plan for his knee.

Over the past two seasons, Embiid has battled knee concerns. During the 2023-2024 NBA season, Embiid suffered an injury halfway through the year, which required a surgical procedure. It wasn’t severe enough to end his season prematurely, but the veteran center would struggle with availability in the following season.

After seeing the court for just 39 games in 2023-2024, Embiid managed to play in just 19 games last year. His season ended prematurely as he underwent a second surgery in under two years.

When Embiid’s season wrapped up, he had posted averages of 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists.

This year, Embiid has eased his way back into the Sixers’ lineup by playing on a minutes restriction to begin the season. He missed nine games in a row throughout November, as he dealt with a minor setback.

Since the start of December, Embiid has missed four out of eight games. Due to an illness, he missed the Sixers’ previous two outings against the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks. The Sixers managed to win both of those matchups.

When Embiid left Tuesday’s game, he had 17 minutes played. During that time, he shot 7-10 from the field and 4-5 from the free-throw line, scoring 19 points. He also had three rebounds.

Embiid finished the game with 27 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in 31 minutes. The Sixers came up short against the struggling Nets with a 114-106 loss.

The Sixers will return on Friday for a matchup against the Chicago Bulls. Embiid will be a name to keep an eye on as his latest incident will be something the team’s training staff will have to closely monitor.

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