Sixers' Joel Embiid Exits Game vs. Warriors

As the Philadelphia 76ers wrapped up their first quarter of action against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, the MVP big man Joel Embiid made his way back to the visitor’s locker room early.

When Embiid made his way back, he was spotted walking gingerly, which didn’t come as a surprise considering he’d been dealing with knee concerns as of late.

Prior to Tuesday night’s game, Embiid has missed the last two matchups. When the Sixers paid a visit to the Indiana Pacers last Thursday, Embiid was present for a 31-minute shift. However, he tweaked his knee during the matchup, which was a cause for concern moving forward.

Although Embiid initially planned to play two nights later on the road against the Denver Nuggets, the big man was ruled out as a late scratch after going through his pregame warmups. As the Sixers’ medical staff didn’t like the way Embiid was moving, they wouldn’t clear him for action before the game tipped off.

Embiid found himself upgraded to questionable ahead of Monday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, but he was ruled out due to swelling a few hours before the game.

On Tuesday, Embiid was once again questionable against the Warriors and approached the matchup as a game-time decision. This time around, Embiid was cleared for action after going through his pregame warmups.

Embiid looked rusty through his first quarter of action on Tuesday. In a little under ten minutes, the veteran big man put up seven shots from the field, finding success on just one of his attempts. He had four points and two rebounds before heading back to the locker room to get his knee checked out.

While it seemed there was a chance Embiid could get the rest of the night off, he made his way back to the Sixers’ bench as the second quarter progressed. Similar to the first quarter, Embiid struggled to have his typical offensive impact. In addition, there were a few moments where he looked to be dealing with discomfort.

A little rest during the game’s intermission didn’t do a ton for Embiid. Throughout the remainder of the game, the Sixers’ seven-time All-Star struggled to uplift the shorthanded Sixers.

And to make matters worse, Embiid exited the game for a second time in the fourth quarter after he got tangled up and remained on the floor in pain for a bit. Fortunately, Embiid was able to make his way back to the locker room on his own power, but his knee is something the Sixers will have to continue monitoring moving forward.

Embiid left the game with 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and eight turnovers in 30 minutes of action.