How is Joel Embiid Feeling After 76ers' Loss vs. Warriors?
The Philadelphia 76ers couldn’t be so sure about the playing status of the six-time All-Star Joel Embiid on Saturday night. Going into the matchup, Embiid was listed as questionable due to calf tightness.
Embiid’s recent minor setback started on Wednesday night when the Sixers faced the Chicago Bulls for the fourth and final time this year. As the Sixers dominated the Bulls through the first half of action, Embiid got the entire second half off.
At first, it seemed the Sixers were holding Embiid out simply due to the score. Eventually, it was revealed that Embiid had calf tightness and took the rest of the night off as the team wanted to be extremely cautious.
The message was that Embiid would likely suit up and play in Golden State, but he was still questionable going into the game. He ended up playing, and checked in for nearly 38 minutes on Friday night.
After the game, Embiid revealed how he was feeling, according to Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire.
“It’s okay, a little sore but whatever got to keep managing it to see how it feels tomorrow and you know the next few days,” Embiid told reporters. “It’s all about making sure I’m healthy for playoffs so whatever gets me there healthy, that’s what we are going to do.”
Even with Embiid in on Friday, the Sixers still played the matchup shorthanded, missing the veterans James Harden and Jalen McDaniels. With Harden out, Embiid had to do a little bit of everything as he scored 46 points while coming down with nine rebounds and dishing out eight assists.
Although Embiid had a monster performance, he couldn’t will his team to a win. The Sixers fell short to the Warriors 120-112. After dropping a matchup to the Warriors, the Sixers hit the road as they are set to take on the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night.
As of now, Embiid’s playing status is unclear. Considering he played nearly 40 minutes on Friday, it might be in the team’s best interest to give him the night off. Ultimately, the big man’s playing status will depend on how he’s feeling after playing a full game.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
