Is Joel Embiid Playing Tonight vs Jazz? Feb 1st Injury Update for Sixers Star as Knee MRI Awaited

On Tuesday, Joel Embiid had his worst outing of the season in the Philadelphia 76ers‘ 119-107 loss to the Golden State Warriors. The reigning NBA MVP finished the game with 14 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, ending his 21-game streak of scoring at least 30 points. It was also the first he failed to hit the 20-point mark in a game this season.

To make matters worse, Embiid suffered an injury in the fourth quarter, forcing him to limp his way out of the game and into the locker room. In a wild scramble for the ball, the 76ers superstar hit the floor. Warriors star Jonathan Kuminga was also scrapping for possession and fell directly on Embiid’s left knee.

The 76ers Center immediately winced in pain as play continued before the 76ers medical staff tended to the franchise cornerstone and took him back to the locker room for further treatment.

Embiid is set to have an MRI test on his left knee. The 76ers have already ruled him out of their game against the Utah Jazz on Thursday. This will be the 13th game that Embiid will miss this season. He can only miss four of the 76ers remaining 35 games to meet the NBA’s 65-game requirement to qualify for MVP and All-NBA honors.

Embiid’s appearance against the Warriors was his first after a two-game absence. He’ll likely be sidelined for a while with the knee injury he suffered on Tuesday, a massive blow to the 76ers.

Draymond Green slams NBA’s 65-game rule after Joel Embiid’s injury

Warriors forward Draymond Green was delighted with his team’s effort to limit Joe Embiid to only 14 points. However, the veteran star believes Embiid wasn’t fully fit and played due to his diminishing window to remain eligible for the individual accolades. On the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show, he said,

“Joel comes out there tonight and he forces it. Now we’ve got one of our premier faces in this league, the MVP of our league, possibly hurt for an extended period of time because he’s forcing it.”

Green’s assessment could be accurate. The NBA is investigating Embiid and the 76ers after he missed the team’s narrow 111-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets last Saturday despite not being on the injury report. NBA Insider Ramona Shelburne reported that Embiid was keen on playing to end the chatter that he intentionally avoids facing Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in Denver. She said,

“I think he fully intended to try to play in Denver. He was the one who said to the team, ‘I’m playing, leave me off the injury report.’  That knee is an issue he’s going to have to manage for the rest of the season. There is swelling in there. He couldn’t even jump before the Denver game.” 

The allegation, followed by the investigation and the fear of losing out on individual honors, prompted Embiid to play against the Warriors. He now faces an extended period on the sidelines.