Joel Embiid sits out 4th quarter as Sixers lose to Nets, team considering ‘alternative options’ on injured knee

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The Philadelphia 76ers lost 105-103 to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night at the last second when Nic Claxton beat Paul George for an offensive rebound off Keon Johnson’s missed 3-pointer and tipped in the game-winning basket.

George was out-hustled for the rebound, failing to jump or even raise his arms in pursuit of the ball. The lack of effort cost the Sixers a potential win and dropped their record to 20-26, the fourth-worst in the Eastern Conference.

However, as embarrassing as George’s half-hearted effort was, fans and media watching Claxton’s game-winner might have wondered where Joel Embiid was on the play. Had he been on the court, would he have gotten the rebound? Or would he have cleared Claxton out enough for George to grab the board?

Embiid was on the bench, sitting out the entire fourth quarter because Sixers head coach Nick Nurse believed that Guerschon Yabusele was more effective at center in Saturday’s game.

“Well, that group was just playing so well together and had a good feel for the game at that point, and [we] just wanted to let them roll with it,” Nurse told reporters afterward, via the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Embiid, who didn’t comment after the loss, started the game and finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes. Yabusele grabbed eight rebounds in his 23 minutes of play.

Earlier in the week, Embiid acknowledged that his injured left knee isn’t allowing him to play to his regular standard and implied that surgery may be necessary.

“The way I was playing a year ago is not the way I’m playing right now. It sucks,” he said. “I probably need to fix the problem, and then I’ll be back at that level. But it’s hard to have trust when you’re not yourself.”

Then on Sunday afternoon, Embiid and the 76ers decided to consult doctors in an effort to find “alternative options” for his injured knee, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. His current treatments haven’t improved Embiid’s situation at all, though it’s unclear what will come next for the star or if he will continue to play this season.

In light of Embiid being on the bench for the entire fourth quarter of a game…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/joel-embiid-sits-out-4th-quarter-as-sixers-lose-to-nets-team-considering-alternative-options-on-injured-knee-163745480.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2025-02-23 16:37:00

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