Joel Embiid Misses Final 2 Games Before Break With Knee Soreness
Memories of the past 12 years inflict concerns for just about every bit of news surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers. Just after Paul George hit the shelf for a 25-game suspension…
Memories of the past 12 years inflict concerns for just about every bit of news surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers.
Just after Paul George hit the shelf for a 25-game suspension on January 31, Joel Embiid reported right knee soreness that kept him out of the final two games before the NBA All-Star Break.
Joel Embiid Knee Soreness
Embiid’s recent hot streak had rejuvenated a sense of optimism in Philadelphia, even after the Paul George news. The towering big man scored 33 points in a victory against the Phoenix Suns on February 7. He reported the right knee soreness following the game, Philadelphia's fourth of five straight Western Conference road games.
Nick Nurse addressed the injury before a matchup against the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
“It’s bothering him enough that he’s not playing. I think it is improving a little bit, but just not quite there to get out there tonight.”
-Nick Nurse
Embiid sat out Philadelphia’s ugly 17-point loss against the Portland Trail Blazers on Feb. 9 before the team returned to Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Would Joel Embiid have played the two games if it wasn’t the final game before the Sixers reach their seven-day NBA All-Star Break?
Nurse stopped short of calling the absence in a crucial game against the Knicks precautionary. The Sixers entered only 3.5 games behind New York in the Eastern Conference standings. It was their final head-to-head matchup during the regular season.
Nurse focused more on the team’s collective rest advantage.
“Anybody that’s a little bit sore and dinged up has a chance to get some treatment for the week, off their feet for a week. He would certainly be included in that for sure.”
-Nick Nurse
Embiid has revitalized his 2025-26 season since the holidays. The win in Phoenix was his 18th appearance over a 22-game span. He’d rested only for back-to-backs between New Year's and the Portland game.
While his impressive 30.1 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game averages during that stretch encouraged fans, Nurse spoke more optimistically about Embiid’s ability to handle a heavy workload.
The towering Cameroonian big man has shown excellent agility and quickness reminiscent of his most dominant performances in his 2022-23 MVP season. He’s handled the ball farther away from the paint after showing limitations earlier in the season.
The Sixers were 13-5 with Embiid in the lineup during the 22-game stretch since December 30 and 1-3 without him.
If Embiid suits up for Philadelphia's first game after the break on Feb. 19, he'll have sat 12 days since reporting the knee soreness.
