Nick Nurse Addresses Joel Embiid’s Physical Concerns After 76ers Center Briefly Exits With Injury Scare

Nick Nurse shares his thoughts on Joel Embiid’s condition© Instagram/ joelembiid

Joel Embiid went down in the first quarter against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night, pointing to his right knee while the Philadelphia 76ers held their breath. He was listed as questionable before tipoff. The scare came after a collision with Ja'Kobe Walter while setting a screen. Medical staff helped the former MVP to the locker room. Embiid came back, and Philadelphia won 123-112. The Sixers improved to 10-3. Afterward, head coach Nick Nurse admitted Embiid's mobility had dipped over the last few games, then pointed to what he liked on Thursday.

Nick Nurse Describe Joel Embiid's Mobility After The Raptors Game

Nurse did not dodge the topic. The Sixers coach said Joel Embiid's movement had slipped over the past few games, so he was looking for signs of life against Toronto. He found some. “It's nice to see the movement spark come back,” Nurse said, via Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. He then added, “When he's driving the ball, he's feeling pretty good.”

The context helps. Earlier this month, Embiid said he had been playing through plantar fasciitis for several weeks. “You feel it on the court, so it surely does not help,” he said at the time. Tuesday brought a harder moment. During a blowout loss to the Boston Celtics, Embiid took a hard fall under the rim and limped to the locker room before returning to start the second half. Before the Raptors game he was averaging 17.7 points and 9.3 rebounds, and he was shooting just 37% from the field. He had gone 2-of-9 against Boston.

Then came the Toronto scare. Embiid scored seven points in 15 first-half minutes after returning, and finished with 20 on 7-of-17 shooting. He also had four rebounds and three assists, and hit six of seven free throws.

Sixers Face Back-To-Back Test With Embiid's Workload In Focus

Philadelphia now turns to a quick turnaround. The Sixers host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday and visit the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. Embiid no longer plays both ends of a back-to-back, so one of those games was likely going to be a rest night anyway. The knee scare could push the team to be more careful. A lot depends on how the knee responds over the next day or two.

The win was not a one-man job. Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 27 points and eight assists. Anfernee Simons hit five of his six three-point tries for 17 points. Those two gave Embiid some breathing room.