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Joel Embiid’s Availability for 76ers-Raptors in Question

What's Joel Embiid's initial injury report status for Tuesday's game against the Raptors?
Oct 28, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN;  Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts to a foul call in the first half against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Oct 28, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts to a foul call in the first half against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

With another game approaching, the Philadelphia 76ers have put Joel Embiid’s playing status in question once again. This time, the star center is unsure about his status against the Toronto Raptors.

The good news is that Embiid is not experiencing any new setbacks at the moment. The Sixers are still rolling with a familiar strategy regarding Embiid’s knee injury management plan.

After getting surgery last season, Embiid has experienced swelling and soreness on several occasions this year, keeping him off the court for scattered games and even long stretches.

Sunday’s action against the Milwaukee Bucks marked the first time Embiid played two games in a row since the start of the new year.

On January 2, Embiid checked in on the second matchup of a back-to-back set to face the Golden State Warriors. He played for 31 minutes in the blowout loss.

In the following game, the Sixers paid a visit to the Brooklyn Nets. Embiid checked in for 29 minutes to help the Sixers come out on top with a dominant 29-point victory. After that, Embiid went on a long absence. At first, it was due to a sprained foot.

Joel Embii
Dec 22, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) moves against Toronto Raptors guard Dennis Schroder (17) in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

For the first six games, Embiid was healing from a foot sprain that he re-aggravated after initially suffering from it on Christmas Day. Just as he was working his way back to full health, Embiid missed nine more games as knee swelling continued to affect him.

Embiid returned to the lineup on February 4 to face the Dallas Mavericks. After seeing the court for 36 minutes on the first night of a back-to-back, he took the second night off.

This year, Embiid has appeared in 16 games. He has posted averages of 25 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and one block.

Since Tuesday’s game is the start of a back-to-back set, which will conclude in Brooklyn on Wednesday, Embiid is likely to miss at least one of the next two games.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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