Sixers Rumored to be Optimistic About Joel Embiid's Injury

Every time Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid hits the floor, Sixers fans, players, staffers, and anybody else watching likely hold their breath. As the big man tends to fall hard and has seen his fair share of injuries throughout his career, each Embiid fall worries anybody paying attention.

On Monday night, during the Game 4 matchup between the Sixers and the Washington Wizards, Embiid had another big fall. While going up for a tough shot over Washington big man Robin Lopez, Embiid fell over hard and hit the deck.

At first, Embiid showed signs of having back pain. It didn't seem like anything serious initially as the Sixers kept the four-time All-Star on the floor for a few more moments. After wrapping up his 11-minute shift in the first quarter, Embiid went straight to the Sixers' locker room with trainers to get checked out.

The center went on to miss the entire second quarter. During that 12 minute stretch, there was no update on Embiid's status. Once halftime rolled around, the news finally came. Embiid was out for the game, but not because of his back. Instead, he was dealing with right knee soreness.

After the matchup, Doc Rivers claimed he didn't have an update. Sixers President Daryl Morey sent out a cryptic but positive message hours after Embiid's fall but didn't offer any concrete details. As the big man was scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday, some rumors indicated Embiid would be just fine.

While the MRI results are unknown to the public, Embiid's status for Wednesday's Game 5 matchup in South Philly is doubtful. Despite Embiid having low chances of returning to the court on Wednesday, ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski hinted the Sixers aren't too worried about Embiid moving forward.

"I’m told, largely, there’s optimism around the knee that this is not a serious injury," Wojnarowski said on Tuesday night. "This is not necessarily something that’s gonna keep him out, but there’s more testing that’s going to be done. They certainly want to be sure whenever they’re dealing with Joel Embiid and a player certainly of his stature."

According to a team official, the Sixers planned to have Embiid undergo further evaluations between Tuesday and Wednesday to figure out a plan for him moving forward. 

Considering Philly holds a 3-1 lead over Washington heading into Wednesday night's game at home, the Sixers are likely confident they can get the job done without Embiid on the floor.

Knowing their chances of advancing past the first round are high at this point, the Sixers need to make sure they don't rush the big man back onto the floor as they'll need him healthy for the long run. 

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