Joel Embiid chose to sit out of the Philadelphia 76ers’ last regular season game against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday as a precautionary measure before the playoffs, according to sources cited by ESPN.
Sources informed ESPN that it is anticipated for Embiid to be ready to play in Philadelphia’s upcoming game.
The upcoming game could take place on either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on whether Philadelphia is away or hosting the 7-8 play-in game. If the 76ers are able to bypass the play-in game and advance to the first round, the game could also be scheduled for the following weekend.
Embiid, who experienced discomfort in his left knee during the first half of Friday’s game, briefly exited but later returned to finish the game. Sixers coach Nick Nurse mentioned that Embiid participated in the team’s practice on Saturday.
Embiid, who is the current MVP of the NBA, has been scoring an average of 30.4 points, grabbing 9.2 rebounds, and dishing out 5.2 assists in the five games he has played since returning from a two-month injury break. This break was due to a surgery on his left meniscus after sustaining an injury to his left knee from a collision with a Golden State Warriors player on Jan. 30.
If Philadelphia wins and both the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic lose, they will end up in fifth place. The Sixers have a chance to finish in sixth place if they win and either Indiana or Orlando loses. If the Sixers win and both Orlando and Indiana also win, they would land the No. 7 seed.