Embiid doubtful for Game 5 of Sixers-Wizards series originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Joel Embiid is doubtful for Game 5 of the Sixers’ first-round series against the Wizards with the right knee soreness that sidelined him Monday night.
Embiid landed awkwardly in the first quarter of Game 4 after having his shot blocked by Robin Lopez. He stayed in the game until 36.5 seconds remained in the first, then headed to the locker room for evaluation and was officially ruled out at halftime.
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A Sixers official said Tuesday that Embiid would be further evaluated over the next 24 hours.
If Embiid is unavailable, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers will have several different directions he could go with his starting lineup. The Sixers have preferred not to start Dwight Howard, in part because the team tends not to do well when the 35-year-old plays alongside Ben Simmons. Mike Scott played 17 scoreless minutes Monday.
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Simmons finished the Sixers' Game 4 loss at center, guarding Washington’s Daniel Gafford. The Sixers could begin Wednesday’s game that way, sliding a perimeter player into their starting five.
Seth Curry (left ankle sprain) and George Hill (left knee contusion) are probable to play Wednesday.
Curry had also been listed as probable for Game 3 with left ankle soreness. He played and scored 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting in a blowout Sixers win, and he was not on the NBA’s official injury report for Game 4.
Hill has been Rivers’ first choice off the bench. The veteran guard has averaged 9.3 points on 60 percent shooting from both the floor and three-point range in the series.
Wizards forward Davis Bertans is expected to need four to six weeks to recover from a right calf strain, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday.
