Joel Embiid's injury is being closely monitored, with the playoffs less than a month away. The Philadelphia 76ers have dropped into the play-in tournament bracket amid his absence. They are 9-14 since he went down with a meniscus tear in Jan. The Sixers remain hopeful of making an impactful playoffs run with a play-in tournament win should Embiid return in time.
Tyrese Maxey has carried the team in his absence, but he's missed five games amid this stretch, further hindering the shorthanded 76ers. Philadelphia continues its season against the LA Lakers on Friday night without Embiid.
Joel Embiid Injury Update: Latest on All-Star's return ahead of 76ers-Lakers
Embiid is nowhere close to returning for the 76ers ahead of their matchup against the Lakers, but coach Nick Nurse has given a promising injury update. On Wednesday, Nurse said Embiid is back on the court "almost every day," resuming basketball activities. Nurse also mentioned that the checkups have been "positive" and he's in the ramp-up process.
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The Sixers are now in the phase where they are monitoring how ready Embiid is for contract practice, starting with one-on-one and five-on-five sessions.
Embiid isn't with the team for their West Coast trip that finishes Monday against the Sacramento Kings.
What happened to Joel Embiid?
Joel Embiid has a torn meniscus in his left knee. He had been dealing with a left knee issue for weeks before aggravating the injury on Jan. 30 in a 119-107 loss against the Golden State Warriors. Jonathan Kuminga fell on Embiid's injured leg in the fourth quarter of that contest.
How long is Joel Embiid out for? Exploring more amid reported timeline
Embiid's season could be far from over. With at least three weeks left in the regular season, the Sixers could see the reigning NBA MVP return to the lineup soon. According to 76ers beat reporter, the team is hopeful that Embiid could be on the court in the first or second week of April. The Sixers will have eight games left by then.
They finish the season with a three-game homestand against the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets. That could be a more realistic timeline, considering the time required to ramp up and regain game conditioning.
Embiid will have decent reps in by the time the play-in tournament begins, allowing him to elevate his contribution and guide the Sixers to the playoffs as the seventh or eighth seed. The Sixers are 38-31, eighth in the East before Friday's game against LA.
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