76ers News: Joel Embiid Not Expected to Play vs. Hawks Friday

The Philadelphia 76ers don’t plan to play Joel Embiid against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Per the report, the Sixers won’t have Embiid travel with the team on Thursday night following a loss against the Miami Heat.

Embiid’s expected absence on Friday night doesn’t come as a surprise. Considering the Sixers have already locked up the third seed in the Eastern Conference with just a couple of games left before the playoffs, there isn’t any incentive to play Embiid again until the postseason.

When the Sixers faced the Miami Heat on Thursday, Embiid wasn’t on the team’s injury report, which signaled he was good to go. The Sixers trotted out the six-time All-Star for a 30-minute shift. Although the Heat dominated the Sixers, Embiid led his team in scoring with a 21-point outing.

The big man took just 13 shots from the field, draining nine of them. He also went to the free throw line to know down two of his four shots. Along with his scoring, Embiid came down with six rebounds and dished out two assists in the Sixers’ 129-101 loss to Miami.

The Sixers are set to travel to Atlanta on Thursday night to gear up for a back-to-back, which is set to conclude on Friday. With Embiid not planning to play, the Sixers will have an opportunity to get several veterans some playing time, as Dewayne Dedmon, Paul Reed, and Montrezl Harrell are all healthy.

While Embiid’s been dealing with calf tightness as of late, the veteran center made it out of Thursday’s game healthy. The chances of Embiid playing again during the regular season seem low, as keeping him healthy for the playoffs is the Sixers’ top priority.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.