Joel Embiid Injury: Why didn’t Philadelphia 76ers star play vs Minnesota Timberwolves?

Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid missed his first game of the season on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Embiid was sidelined due to left hip soreness.

In Embiid’s absence, the Sixers struggled, falling 112-99, marking their second straight loss. The loss dropped Philly (10-5) into a four-way tie for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

While some fans are concerned about Embiid’s status moving forward, it doesn’t appear to be a serious injury, as he is listed as day-to-day.

The Sixers also played on the second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday after falling 122-119 in overtime to the Cleveland Cavaliers (8-7) on Tuesday. So, Wednesday’s absence may have been a precautionary measure to get the big man some additional rest ahead of Thursday’s Thanksgiving break.

Philly next plays the OKC Thunder (11-4) on the road on Saturday. It remains to be seen if Embiid will be available.

Through 14 games, Embiid is averaging 31.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.8 blocks and 1.1 3-pointers per game on 49.7% shooting.

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Nick Nurse on Paul Reed filling in at center in Joel Embiid’s absence

Philadelphia 76ers backup big man Paul Reed

In Joel Embiid’s absence, Philly went small against Minnesota, starting veteran forward Marcus Morris Sr. in his place. However, Morris played just 16 minutes, while backup big man Paul Reed logged 26 minutes off the bench.

Reed finished with 10 points, nine rebounds, one assist, two steals and four blocks on 55.6% shooting.

After the game, Sixers coach Nick Nurse was asked about Reed’s performance filling in for Embiid. Nurse raved about the big man’s all-around energy and tenacity on the boards:

“He was Paul Reed, right? He played really hard, he had a ton of rebounds, I felt like he got a bunch of offensive rebounds,” Nurse said.

“I thought he made some good finishes in there. I thought he had a good game. It was nice to get him more than 10 minutes or 12 minutes. You know, gave him 26 minutes tonight, and he deserves them. I thought he played really hard and fought really good.”

Reed’s impressive performance off the bench wasn’t enough for Philly to get the win. The Embiid-less Sixers were ultimately outmatched by the Timberwolves' star power, led by a game-high 31 points from star shooting guard Anthony Edwards.

However, perhaps Reed’s strong play will earn him more minutes moving forward. This could especially be true if Embiid is forced to miss more time.

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