Joel Embiid Questionable vs. Thunder on Sunday

After dealing with a torn meniscus throughout the 2021 NBA playoff run, Sixers center Joel Embiid went through a long recovery process throughout the offseason. By the time the 76ers reunited for training camp back in late September, Embiid was fully healthy and got the green light to practice without limitations.

Embiid made it through training camp and the preseason without dealing with any setbacks. However, when he stepped foot on the court for the first matchup of the regular season though, the big man suffered a minor setback.

Early on in the matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, Embiid was kneed in the knee. Although the All-Star was spotted grabbing at his knee early on in the game, he finished the night with 22 points in 26 minutes.

Leading up to Philly's second matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night, the Sixers listed Embiid as questionable due to knee soreness. After going through a Friday morning shootaround and undergoing pregame warmups, the Sixers deemed Embiid healthy enough to play. Therefore, he was cleared for action.

After checking in for a 30-minute shift on Friday night, Embiid admitted his knee was still sore following the matchup. "It's alright. Hopefully, it gets better, but it's alright," Embiid said after the game. "It happened last game. I got kneed right into it. So, it's been sore -- extremely sore. But I think I'll be alright."

The Sixers center mentioned he didn't plan to take any games off due to the soreness, but he is questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ultimately, Embiid's status will likely be decided after he goes through the shootaround and warmups again. And if the soreness isn't too much, the Sixers could clear him for action but keep him on a minutes restriction.

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

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