Embiid out on Saturday but 76ers' All-Star center moves closer to return from knee injury

CAMDEN, N.J. -- Joel Embiid and Paul George will each miss a 5th consecutive crippled pinch near knee injuries erstwhile nan Philadelphia 76ers big Memphis connected Saturday night.

The oft-injured Embiid has yet to play this season, though he was a afloat subordinate astatine Friday's practice, including successful 5-on-5 scrimmages pinch nan team. George, who besides has yet to play this play pinch a bony bruise connected his near knee, besides participated successful nan afloat believe and scrimmaged pinch nan Sixers.

Embiid skipped nan full preseason and has not played immoderate hoops that matters since he helped Team USA triumph golden successful nan Paris Olympics.

Embiid has officially been retired pinch what nan 76ers telephone near knee management. He was constricted to 39 games past season, mostly because of knee room aft tearing nan meniscus successful his near knee connected Jan. 30 against Golden State.

“Everybody has been connected nan aforesaid page,” Embiid said astatine nan 76ers' New Jersey complex. “If your assemblage doesn't respond well, and if your assemblage tells you 1 point (sit out). I've done it. From what I tin show you, I've surgery my look twice, I came backmost early pinch nan consequence of losing my vision. I person surgery fingers. I still came back. When I spot group opportunity he doesn't want to play, I've done measurement excessively overmuch for this city, putting myself astatine consequence for group to beryllium saying that.”

Embiid’s absence from nan play opener raised suspicion successful nan NBA, and nan convention connected Tuesday fined nan squad $100,000 for nationalist statements, including by president of hoops operations Daryl Morey and by coach Nick Nurse, that were inconsistent pinch Embiid’s wellness position and successful usurpation of NBA rules, including nan league’s player information policy. It recovered nan information argumentation was not violated.

Embiid was nan No. 3 prime successful nan 2014 draught but missed his first 2 afloat seasons pinch injuries. Since his first afloat play successful 2016, Embiid has played successful 433 of a imaginable 805 regular-season games and only 59 of 67 imaginable playoff games.

Embiid sprained his correct knee successful nan 2023 playoffs, which costs him games against Brooklyn and Boston. He missed 2 games successful nan 2nd information successful 2022 and different successful nan first information successful 2021 pinch various injuries, connected apical of nan 2 he missed to statesman nan 2018 playoffs pinch an orbital fracture and different successful 2019, besides pinch a knee problem.

“I wish I was arsenic fortunate arsenic different ones,” Embiid said. “But that doesn't mean I'm not trying and I'm not doing immoderate it takes to effort to beryllium retired there, which I'm going to beryllium present beautiful soon.”

Embiid added he does not regret playing successful nan Olympics. He could return for nan Sixers' three-game West Coast swing, which starts Monday against Phoenix.

“I deliberation really it's being comfortable, trusting it,” Embiid said. “I want to beryllium astatine my best. I don't want to beryllium successful a business wherever I'm like, I'm acrophobic if I do thing aliases immoderate (I get wounded again). I mentioned it since my past surgery, it was astir apt nan toughest mentally. Mentally I'm conscionable dealing pinch getting that spot back. In nan past, it was conscionable easy.”

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