Joel Embiid’s Status Remains Concerning Ahead of 76ers-Knicks

In this story:
A matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks won’t include the star center Joel Embiid on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
According to the official NBA injury report, Embiid remains out due to “knee injury management.” At this point, Embiid’s status for the remainder of the season could be up in the air, as the Sixers are reportedly consulting with specialists to see if there is another path Embiid could take to get back on track.
Joel Embiid (injury management) listed out for Wednesday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) February 25, 2025
Embiid admitted he didn’t feel like his dominant self last week after the Sixers fell short against the Boston Celtics. All season long, the veteran center’s knee has held him back after he underwent surgery over one year ago.
"The way I was playing a year ago is not the way I'm playing right now," Embiid admitted. "It sucks. I probably need to fix the problem, and then I'll be back at that level, but it's hard to have trust when you're not yourself."
The Sixers haven’t ruled Embiid out for an extended period of time. Ahead of Monday’s game between the Sixers and the Chicago Bulls, Nick Nurse made it clear that the Sixers have not considered shutting down Embiid for the rest of the season at this time.
Nick Nurse, when asked if he believes Joel Embiid is done for the season: “Not at that point at all. Just again we are playing and testing and trying to figure it out and go from there.”
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 24, 2025
Heading into Monday’s action, Embiid was listed as questionable on the initial injury report. Unsurprisingly, he was ruled out hours before the two teams tipped off. The Sixers didn’t waste any time making the early call on Embiid for Wednesday’s game against the New York Knicks. The matchup will mark his second absence in a row.
This year, Embiid has appeared in just 19 games. Throughout the season, the seven-time All-Star has averaged 24 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. He’s shooting 44 percent from the field and 30 percent from beyond the arc.
More 76ers on SI
Nick Nurse’s Injury Update on Eric Gordon
Sixers Add Lonnie Walker IV to Roster
Former Alabama Basketball Player Reacts to Joining the Sixers
Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia
Follow @JGrasso_