Philadelphia 76ers Reveal Joel Embiid's Status vs OKC Thunder

Will Joel Embiid face the OKC Thunder?

Apr 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) meet on court after 76ers win at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The concerns surrounding Joel Embiid’s health this season are ongoing. The Philadelphia 76ers have already made their decision on Embiid’s status for Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Once again, the Sixers will roll without the star big man.

According to the official NBA injury report, Embiid’s primary concern is the left foot sprain that he suffered ahead of the Christmas Day matchup against the Boston Celtics.

Joel Embiid (foot) listed out for Tuesday.

— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) January 13, 2025

During his pregame warmups, Embiid was seen getting tripped up. His status for that matchup was in question, but he ended up playing. The big man appeared on the court for 30 minutes, scoring 27 points and coming down with nine rebounds. The Sixers defeated the Celtics with a four-point win.

The setback didn’t affect Embiid immediately moving forward. He played in over 34 minutes in each of the next two games on the road against the Utah Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers.

On New Year’s Day, Embiid sat out against the Sacramento Kings. On the following night, he suited up for the matchup against the Golden State Warriors for 30 minutes. Two nights later, Embiid was on the floor for 28 minutes against the Brooklyn Nets.

The outing on the road in Brooklyn was the last time Embiid was seen in uniform for the Sixers. The team went through four games without him. In a stretch of battles against the Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Orlando Magic, the Sixers collected just one win.

Ahead of last Friday’s game against the Pelicans, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse addressed Embiid’s current stretch of absences.

“It’s been aggravated for sure,” Nurse said regarding Embiid’s foot sprain. “That’s why he’s not playing. Again, he’s day-to-day … We were hoping that maybe he would be able to go today, but just not quite ready, you know? Hopefully, he’ll be ready to go the next game.”

As far as the knee goes, Nurse assured the public that Embiid is not dealing with any concerns there.

When the Sixers approached the Sunday night game on the road in Orlando, Embiid was upgraded to questionable on the injury report. He was a game-time decision but was ruled out in the end.

Ahead of Tuesday’s game against OKC, the Sixers aren’t even going to chance it. Embiid is out, leaving many to wonder if the absence could extend beyond six games or if the center is just taking the first night of a back-to-back set off.

On Wednesday, the Sixers will be back on their home court to face the New York Knicks. Since Nurse labeled Embiid day-to-day, the center’s status for Wednesday is unclear at the moment.

Embiid has just 13 games under his belt at this point in the year. While he's been very helpful when on the floor, his availability remains a notable concern this season.

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