76ers' Record Without Joel Embiid During 2022-2023 Season
For the first time during the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers will take the floor without their star center, Joel Embiid.
While Embiid didn’t receive a suspension after the NBA reviewed his flagrant foul on Nic Claxton during the first quarter of Game 3, the big man did suffer a sprained knee during the outing.
Following the game, Embiid mentioned he was fine. On Friday afternoon, Doc Rivers assumed that Embiid wasn’t “feeling good” after getting banged up during the tight win in Brooklyn.
While Rivers didn’t disclose that Embiid was getting checked for a knee injury on Friday afternoon, the Sixers later confirmed that Embiid was diagnosed with a sprain following an MRI that took place in Philly, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Embiid’s recent setback doesn’t seem too severe, but it will cost him Game 4, at the least. According to the Sixers’ injury report, Embiid is out for the Saturday afternoon outing.
With the big man taking a seat for Game 4, it marks the 16th time the Sixers will compete without their six-time All-Star on the floor. While the situation is far from ideal, the Sixers can be confident knowing that they’ve found moderate success in Embiid’s absence this year.
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
October 28 | Raptors | W +22 |
October 31 | Wizards | W +7 |
November 2 | Wizards | L -10 |
November 4 | Knicks | L -2 |
November 22 | Nets | W +9 |
November 23 | Hornets | L -6 |
November 25 | Magic | W +8 |
November 27 | Magic | W +30 |
January 4 | Pacers | W +3 |
January 6 | Bulls | L -14 |
January 8 | Pistons | L -12 |
January 21 | Kings | W +2 |
March 1 | Heat | W +23 |
March 27 | Nuggets | L -5 |
April 7 | Hawks | W +5 |
April 9 | Nets | W +29 |
Without Embiid this season, the Sixers are 11-5.
In their November 22 matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, the Sixers entered the game without their All-Star big man on the floor as he was dealing with a sprained foot.
While the Nets had yet to make significant changes to their roster at the time, they were at full strength. Without Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers picked up a 115-106 win.
Embiid’s timetable for return is currently unclear. Although he’s guaranteed to miss Saturday’s game, there has been some speculation that Embiid could return to the court as early as next week. If the Sixers fall short to the Nets on Saturday in Game 4, the Sixers will host Brooklyn on Monday for a fifth game.
