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Due to a sprained right ankle, the reigning MVP, Joel Embiid, will not play in tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets. He is also likely to skip the Philadelphia 76ers’ next game against the Chicago Bulls tomorrow.
Joel Embiid will have missed a total of seven games this season after the Bulls game. It's worth noting that a new rule in the league requires players to have participated in at least 65 games for eligibility for individual awards.
According to 76ers beat writer Keith Pompey, Joel Embiid has already been ruled out against Chicago.
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Joel Embiid has played in 25 games this season, averaging 35.0 points, 11.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists. The Sixers have lost four of their five games without Embiid so far.
Embiid has never played all games in an NBA season. Last season, he participated in 66 games; in 2021-22, he played 68 games.
What happened to Joel Embiid?
On Dec. 22, Joel Embiid injured his right ankle in a game against the Toronto Raptors. He landed on Jakob Poeltl’s foot after trying to block a shot.
Here is the play that resulted in his injury:
Doc Rivers, Joel Embiid’s former coach, says Nikola Jokic is the best player in the NBA
Former Sixers coach Doc Rivers shared his perspective on the Joel Embiid-Nikola Jokic debate during an appearance on "KG Certified" with former players Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.
Pierce called Jokic the “best player right now,” and Rivers agreed.
“Yeah, ‘cause he (Jokic) just does everything,” Rivers said.
In the Nuggets' victory against the Grizzlies on Thursday, Jokic had 26 points, 14 rebounds, and ten assists without missing a shot or a free throw.
He set a new record for the most points and rebounds in a triple-double with perfect shooting from the field and the free-throw line. He joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only player in NBA history to record a triple-double on 100% shooting with at least ten field goal attempts in multiple games.
However, Rivers said Embiid was the better scorer.
“Joel is the best scorer. Like, Joel’s the only guy who can stop Joel from scoring. You can’t stop–he can do everything, but The Joker, man, he just makes everybody better. He runs their whole offense. Just throw him the ball.”
Nick Nurse replaced Rivers as the coach of the 76ers after Rivers was relieved of his coaching duties. Rivers coached Embiid and the 76ers from 2020 to 2023, but they never made it past the second round of the playoffs.
