76ers Will Monitor Joel Embiid’s Ankle Heading Into Christmas Day Matchup

The Philadelphia 76ers unfortunately witnessed their MVP big man Joel Embiid get shaken up early on in Friday’s game against the Toronto Raptors.

With a little over five minutes left to go in the first quarter, Embiid landed awkwardly after making a defensive play at the rim. He was on the floor for a bit, grabbing at his lower leg area.

Eventually, Embiid was able to make his way up off the ground slowly and walk gingerly back to the bench. During the timeout, he received attention from the training staff on the Sixers’ bench.

While it seemed Embiid could have a trip to the locker room in the plans, a quick breather during the timeout was the only thing required for Embiid, who laced his sneakers back up and went out onto the court to conclude the first quarter.

After going up for a tough basket late in the first quarter, Embiid was wincing as he made his way back to the other end of the floor, making it apparent he was still experiencing discomfort.

After wrapping up his usual 12-minute shift in the first quarter, Embiid took a six-minute breather in the second quarter. Halfway through the quarter, Embiid made his way back out onto the floor. Throughout his second quarter of action, Embiid continued to play aggressively but not without a noticeable limp.

He would finish the first half with 11 points after going 4-8 from the field.

The intermission was positive for Embiid, who returned to the floor and put on a stellar performance in the third quarter after one of his slower starts. While he still looked like he was battling physical limitations, Embiid turned his scoring up a notch and started the second half off with a bang.

Appearing in the entire third quarter, Embiid attempted nine shots, making all but three of them from the field. He also went 4-5 from the free-throw line. In total, he produced 17 points, which helped the Sixers establish a 93-89 lead before heading into the fourth quarter.

There was a brief stint where Embiid took a trip to the locker room as the fourth quarter progressed. It wouldn’t be long before he returned and got ready to check in for his final stretch of the night.

Overall, Embiid worked a full shift on Friday against Toronto. He checked in for 35 minutes and scored 31 points, ten rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and four blocks.

On paper, he was just fine. However, the eyes tell you he had something holding him back.

“He obviously was sore a little turned ankle there,” said Sixers head coach Nick Nurse after the game. “[The training staff] didn’t say much. I think he was OK. Obviously, he stayed in the game and didn’t change any part of his rotation I don’t think at all for the night except for the very end. I imagine it’s a turn, he played through it. I’m sure it’ll be sore tomorrow . We’re probably gonna have to monitor it pretty closely for the next couple days before we get on the plane.”

Embiid is often a man of many words, but when it comes to his in-season setbacks, he rarely gives anybody a reason to worry. The situation was no different on Friday.

“It’s fine,” said the MVP center. “Just gonna have it checked out. I don’t know. We’ll see.”

The Sixers will resume practice on Saturday before traveling on Sunday. They’ll play on the NBA’s Christmas Day slate, facing the Miami Heat for the first time this year. Will Embiid give it a go on Monday? The team can’t be so sure as of now. The fact that he completed the game on Friday, though, is a good sign that just a couple of days of rest is all he needs.