8:21pm: Harden has now been ruled out for Monday’s game as well, reports Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The former MVP is targeting a return later this week after the Sixers return home, Woj adds.
1:10pm: Sixers star Joel Embiid is out for Monday’s matchup in Denver due to right calf soreness, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
On a positive note for Philadelphia, guard James Harden, who has missed the past three games with Achilles soreness, is on track to play tonight, per ESPN.
According to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, Embiid — who was previously listed as questionable — tried to work out this morning, but the Sixers decided to be cautious with their best player. He recently spoke about the need for a day off to recover due to his nagging injuries and heavy workload.
“I’ve been playing a lot of minutes, I’ve been playing every single game.” Embiid said. “So to add to that, dealing with the calf and whatever the foot, I think at some point you gotta look at the bigger picture, which is the playoffs, obviously.”
It’s disappointing that Embiid will be unavailable for the highly anticipated matchup with the Nuggets and back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic, as the two centers are once again MVP frontrunners. Embiid recently played in back-to-back games — road losses at Golden State and at Phoenix — on Friday and Saturday. Still, being healthy for a potential playoff push is obviously much more important, as he mentioned.
In other Sixers health news, forward Danuel House (shoulder) participated in Monday’s shootaround and told reporters he was going to suit up on Monday (Twitter link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). House had missed the past two games with the injury.
Seems like they are throwing in the towel on the 2 seed. Probably smart.
Bummer would like to have seen them duke it out.
Coward
Embiid is Not 100%
Last time they met up in Philadelphia. Nikola had just come off of missing four out of five games with a hamstring. Joel hasn’t played in Denver in 4 years
Cowards don’t play with fractured faces and thumbs falling off knucklehead. Joel mvp
Smarter than letting him get injured in the playoffs like he has every year, but one off day isn’t going to change much for the Sixers.
Dodging Joker
Lol u must not grace seen him destroy Joker in Philly
Either way, it’s a bad look for a guy going for MVP.
By destroy you mean go -12 in the first half when he was covering him then have to have Tucker take the assignment? Joel ducking him sounds about right
Jokic played like garbo that game and Joel shined. That’s all that matters.
Yeah they won by 6 points at home, then he ducks the rematch
Sure, but he was about to get schooled away in Den… better not get an ocular fracture befoe the play-offs… go cower on the bench
The more i think of it… it seems like Embiid sat this one out to keep some doubt on who the mvp should be.
Wasn’t on the bench. Was hiding in the locker room
Classic Embiid. Running and hiding as always when going up against Jokic. The game earlier this season was a fluke, Embiid hasn’t played in Denver since 2019…This combined with uter domiation of the Bucks on Saturday should all but asure the MVP for the Serbian Basketball God
I read a report that Doc had to go find Embiid he was crying in the locker room saying he was afraid to face Jokic. Doc finally agreed to sit him. Very sad story.
Lol jojo triple teamed every nite tells me who’s running and hiding.
76ers backup Center Paul Reed averages more blocks than Jokic – SMH. gotta work on your defensive game Joker
Yes, if only Jokic were a more traditional center…like Paul Reed.
One day Jokic will learn to reed
What’s a Paul Reed?
How many points, rebounds and assists does Paul Reed average? What’s Reed’s DBPM? Jokic 4.4 to Reed’s 1.6. How about defensive EPM. Jokic 0.2 to -2.1 for reed. Hunting for blocks leaves you out of position for rebounds and leaves the man you’re supposed to be guarding open.
It’s funny too because the game in Philadelphia was it the end of a stretch where yokage missed four out of five games with a hamstring injury. But he still showed up anytime Joel fans want to start chirping just remind them that you can’t win the MVP from the locker room
its not like denver has been really lighting it up lately either.
Maybe lighting up the team bus with some stinky farts! That altitude will do a number on your colon
They may not be “lighting” it up but a 23 point win over the Bucks is pretty decent.
Don’t get me wrong I love Embiid’s game. He’s a great player. I just hate how he whines “What do I have to do?” and takes potshots at Jokic”You have 2 time MVPs that have never won a championship.” Then there Jokic. “Whoever wins the MVP this year will deserve it and while the MVP award would be nice I want to win a championship.”
Embiid will most likely win it unless Jokic can get those assists up over 10 per game. All three including Antetokounmpo deserve the trophy but there can only be one winner.
The whining annoys me as well, but he’s not wrong that the arguments people use agaisnt him never seem to be used for Jokic. Quite frankly, it should just be a numbers thing – as in putting up the best numbers in the most games. Everything else is either subjective or not in the control of either player (the record argument most of all, seing as, you know, it’s a team sport).
I see what you’re saying about people using the same argument against Embiid being used to bolster Jokic but honestly other than winning a scoring title what has Embiid done that Jokic hasn’t? Neither team has won a championship.
Point being it goes both ways. The only think Jokic has accomplished that Embiid hasn’t is…other MVP awards. Apparently the postseason or team performance didn’t matter to voters last season.