Sixers List Joel Embiid as Questionable vs. Timberwolves

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has dealt with his fair share of setbacks so far this season. Although the big man hasn't suffered from any significant injuries through the first month of the season, he has battled with back tightness over the last few weeks.

Earlier this week, the Sixers center missed the matchup against the Detroit Pistons on the road. After playing in several-straight games, including a back to back, the big man didn't feel one-hundred percent. Therefore, the team ruled him out as they want to be cautious this early on in the year.

Embiid returned to the court on Wednesday night as the Sixers were set to face the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers. In the second half of the matchup, Lakers star LeBron James committed a Flagrant 1 foul against Embiid as the All-Star center attempted a dunk over James. After getting shoved while airborne, Embiid took a nasty spill.

After rolling around in pain for a couple of minutes, Embiid was finally able to get helped up off the floor. The good news is that Embiid stayed on the court for the remainder of the game. The bad news is that he still felt some pain in his back throughout the rest of the matchup.

"Hopefully, it's fine," Embiid said after the game in regards to his back. "The test will be when I wake up in the morning and see how it feels, but I'm glad that I pushed through, and I'm glad that we got the win."

Embiid felt good enough to travel with his team on Thursday night. As the Sixers boarded a flight to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Friday, the star center made the trip.

However, he's not guaranteed to play just yet. According to the late-night injury report, Embiid is listed as questionable for Friday's game due to back tightness once again. The fact that he traveled with the Sixers for the road trip is a promising sign, of course. But if he's not feeling one-hundred percent, there's a chance he'll sit Friday night's game out.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_