New Joel Embiid Injury Update Clarifies Status for First Playoff Game

The end of the 2023-24 regular season has been an absolute whirlwind for the Philadelphia 76ers, who have rattled off seven straight wins to keep various playoff-seeding scenarios alive. Philly's latest victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday, however, came with a scare as Joel Embiid was forced to go to the locker room after a contested layup.

Embiid returned to the floor and helped lead the Sixers to the win, but now the star big man is out for the regular-season finale, prompting questions about his health with the postseason right around the corner.

The latest update on Embiid clears up most of the uncertainty around him.

John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports the former MVP sitting on Sunday is merely a "precautionary" move. Clark adds Embiid is "expected to be ready" for the 76ers' next contest, whoever that may be against.

This is definitely some promising news, yet it doesn't alleviate every injury concern. Every Sixers fan knows how much of an Achilles heel staying healthy has been for Embiid, who was gone for another extended period of time (29 games) during the second half of this season due to a left meniscus injury.

The fact Philadelphia is resting him despite playoff seeding being on the line in Sunday's finale shows legitimate worries about the big man. Even if they're minor concerns, it's clear he's in a state where sitting out is more beneficial.

Philly has its sights set on a championship, so persevering Embiid in some capacity right before the playoffs is a forward-looking move. But the team even making this move in the first place is far from an encouraging sign regarding the star's health right before the biggest time of the year.

Hopefully, Embiid turns out to be fine for the 76ers' next matchup, which could be in the play-in tournament or the first round, depending on how the final day of the regular season shakes out.

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