Is Joel Embiid playing tonight against Nets? Latest injury report on Sixers’ star ahead of matchup (April 22, 2023)

The Philadelphia 76ers have ruled out Joel Embiid for Game 4 of their series against the Brooklyn Nets. Philly could sweep the Nets if they beat them on Saturday.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski had this to report about the All-Star center’s status:

“An MRI revealed Sixers star Joel Embiid suffered a sprained right knee and will miss Game 4 vs. Brooklyn on Saturday. There’s optimism he could be ready to return as soon as early next week.”

“The Process” played without any sign of injury in Game 3 when he tallied 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal. Embiid played a game-high 38 minutes and had a crucial block against Spencer Dinwiddie to push the 76ers to a 102-97 win.

Embiid last missed an NBA game due to an injury last Mar. 27 in a marquee matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. He sat out due to a sore right calf after playing through the discomfort in his previous three games.

The 76ers held him out over their last two regular-season games as they’ve already clinched the third seed. Philly wanted to keep him fresh and healthy for the playoffs.

The Philadelphia 76ers are hopeful he will be available for Game 5 if they don’t complete the sweep on Saturday.

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The Philadelphia 76ers have done reasonably well this season without Joel Embiid

The Philadelphia 76ers are 11-5 this season without "The Process."

The Philadelphia 76ers have managed to stay afloat when Joel Embiid hasn’t been available. They have an 11-5 record without him, which included wins over the Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat.

Closing out the Nets on Saturday, though, will be an entirely different matter. Brooklyn will be giving it all they’ve got to extend their season. Without arguably the most dominant player in the NBA this season, the Nets will be more than confident with their chances of breaking through.

Jacque Vaughn’s team nearly pulled off the win in Game 3, but Embiid snuffed out Dinwiddie’s layup. Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton and Dinwiddie played their best games on Thursday. They’ll be eager to do even better on Thursday to stave off elimination.

Bridges, on the "Point Forward" podcast, revealed how he hated the 76ers for trading him on draft night. That would be an emotion the Nets will be counting on to win for the first time in the series.

"The Process" is the center of everything that the Philadelphia 76ers do on both ends of the floor. He is their defensive anchor and primary option on offense. Philly's advantage will significantly drop without Embiid on both ends of the floor.

The 76ers played reasonably well without him in the regular season. On Saturday night, they will have to prove they can close the series without their franchise player.

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