76ers vs. Wizards: Joel Embiid’s Playing Status on Monday Night

After popping up on the injury report listed as questionable due to knee soreness, the Philadelphia 76ers have cleared Joel Embiid for action against the Washington Wizards on Monday night.

For the third time this season, the Sixers and the Wizards will battle it out. In the previous two outings, the 76ers found success with victories on the backs of strong Embiid performances.

In the first battle between the Sixers and the Wizards in early November, Embiid clocked a 30-minute shift. Before getting an early night off due to a blowout win in favor of Philadelphia, Embiid dominated offensively.

A highly efficient shooting outing, where Embiid knocked down nearly 70 percent of his shots from the field, led the big man to come up just two points shy of his first 50-point showing of the season. Along with his scoring, Embiid secured a double-double with 11 rebounds and dished out six assists.

Last week, the Sixers and the Wizards met again, with Embiid making his return to the floor following a two-game absence against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Boston Celtics due to an illness. After getting upgraded to available, Embiid checked in for nearly 40 minutes in the early December matchup.

That time around, Embiid’s performance was much needed as the Wizards put up a better fight. Knocking down 66 percent of his 29 shots from the field, along with drilling 11 of his 13 free throws, Embiid put together a 50-point performance against Washington. In addition to his scoring, he came down with 13 rebounds and dished out seven assists en route to a five-point victory over the Wizards.

The Sixers will search for their third-straight win over the Wizards on Monday night. With one more matchup against D.C. approaching in mid-February, the Sixers will look to get one step closer to securing a season sweep over the Wizards.

Fortunately, they'll have their star big man in the mix.