Sixers rule Embiid out Friday night, start small-ball lineup originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers ruled Joel Embiid out shortly before their game Friday night in Toronto with an official designation of “right knee injury recovery.”
In his place, the team started P.J. Tucker at center alongside James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton and Tobias Harris. Maxey ended up starring, torching the Raptors for a career-high 44 points and leading the Sixers to their second win.
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The Sixers used the same small-ball unit for a preseason win in Cleveland. The Raptors’ first-choice starting lineup also does not include a conventional center; they went with Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam. Otto Porter Jr. was out for personal reasons.
Embiid played a season-high 38 minutes in the Sixers’ loss Wednesday to Toronto and scored 31 points on 12-for-17 shooting.
During a 1-4 start, the Sixers’ transition defense had been highly problematic. It hasn't helped that Embiid’s conditioning has been below his usual level, which both head coach Doc Rivers and the five-time All-Star attributed to plantar fasciitis that forced him to sit this summer.
“Still trying to work my way back,” Embiid said last week. “Coming into training camp, I hadn’t done anything in like two months, so it really slowed me down. Still trying to work my way back and hopefully everything goes back to normal.”
Embiid also acknowledged Monday that left index and right thumb injuries he had procedures to repair this offseason aren't completely out of his mind.
“You still think about it,” he said. “I would say probably when it comes to boxing out. I’m still not comfortable using my hands and my fingers because that’s how I got hurt in the first place; my finger got caught on somebody. So I’ve still got to get comfortable with that. That’s why with boxing out, I haven’t been using my hands much. I’ve been trying to use my elbow and forearm. I’m sure over time it’s going to get better.”
Neither Embiid nor the Sixers had given any indications he had a right knee concern before Friday, when he was listed as questionable on the 1:30 p.m. ET injury report.
Per The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Gina Mizell, Embiid attended shootaround Friday and told reporters following Wednesday’s game that he was “feeling great … like I’m almost back to myself,” though he also commented he had “a long way to go.”
The Sixers will conclude their first back-to-back of the season Saturday in Chicago with a matchup against the Bulls.
