PHILADELPHIA — After Joel Embiid was ruled out of Tuesday night’s home game against the Boston Celtics due to right knee soreness, 76ers coach Nick Nurse said there are “no expectations” — good or bad — about a timeline for the superstar center’s return.
“No expectation at all,” Nurse said, when asked if there was a belief Embiid will sit out at least a couple of games. “He just reported a little soreness in his right knee. He’s had some imaging on that this afternoon, and the doctors are here tonight to go over that with him.”
Embiid, who played just 19 games last season because of ongoing issues with his left knee dating back to the 2023-24 season, is averaging 19.7 points in 23.3 minutes across the six games he’s played this season. The first four games he sat out this season before Tuesday, however, were all scheduled absences — including three games as part of back-to-back sets, something that is expected to continue throughout the season.
Nurse said there wasn’t anything specific that came up with Embiid’s knee as far as what was causing the soreness, and that in the wake of it being reported by Embiid the team was waiting to see the imaging and what the doctors say about it.
It’s a similar situation for Paul George, who has yet to play this season after undergoing offseason knee surgery. Nurse said team doctors will be meeting with George on Tuesday night, with an update expected on both players in the next day or two.
Philadelphia is in a slow stretch of its schedule, with only one game — Friday in Detroit — in a six-day span. The next time the 76ers play after that is Monday in South Philly against George’s former team, the LA Clippers.
The 76ers (6-4) have gotten off to an encouraging start after last year’s disastrous campaign behind some exemplary play from Tyrese Maxey, who entered Tuesday second in the NBA in scoring at 33.2 points per game, and from No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe, who is leading all rookies with an average of 16.3 points.
