76ers' Joel Embiid Deals With 'Tweaked' Foot vs. Thunder
Joel Embiid’s been battling issues with his foot throughout the season. The Philadelphia 76ers’ November 19 matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves is when it all started.
During his 36-minute shift against the Timberwolves, Embiid was clearly battling pain. While he finished the matchup, the big man made it clear that he would have to get his foot checked out to ensure he wasn’t battling any severe setbacks.
Embiid would be diagnosed with a mid-foot sprain the following day. As a result, the big man was ruled out for a handful of games, beginning with the highly-anticipated matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on November 22.
The mid-foot sprain kept Embiid off the floor for a four-game run. He returned to the court to face the Atlanta Hawks in the November 28 matchup. In that game, Embiid checked in for 35 minutes. From then on, he appeared on the court in 16 straight games.
Then, another setback occurred. During the Sixers’ January 2 game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Embiid was once again spotted grabbing at his foot. While he finished the game, he battled soreness for several following days. As a result, Embiid missed three-straight matchups.
Earlier this week, Embiid returned to the floor. After checking in for 23 minutes against the Detroit Pistons, Embiid addressed his recent foot concerns.
“The one that I had earlier in the year when I landed on someone’s foot, I don’t know if I did the same thing, but it’s about the same thing,” said Embiid on Tuesday night, discussing his recent setback. “I just got to manage it and basically go based on pain and stuff.”
Embiid avoided the injury report for the first time in five games on Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. While there wasn’t a chance his recent foot soreness would keep him off the floor against OKC, Embiid was spotted grabbing at his foot in the second half of the matchup.
After the game, he addressed it once again.
“Just tweaked my foot again,” said Embiid. “It’s fine.”
When a reporter asked the All-Star whether or not the recent tweak could be something that could potentially keep him out for some time, Embiid answered with uncertainty.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll be fine.”
The Sixers will get a day off on Friday to travel. They’ll be back on the court Saturday night to fire up a five-game road trip, beginning against the Utah Jazz. Based on Embiid’s reaction from Thursday night, it seems the big man’s status for Saturday will be something to keep an eye on.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
