PHILADELPHIA — 76ers center Joel Embiid missed his third straight game Friday night, a 123-115 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, due to a sprained left foot.
He has missed 23 times this season.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse said before the game that although the All-Star remains bothered by the foot injury, the team does not believe it is a long-term concern.
“It’s probably gotten worse,” Nurse said. “That’s why he’s not playing. Again, he’s day to day. Practiced yesterday. Hoping he can go today. Not quite ready. Hoping he can go next time.”
The 76ers play Sunday in Orlando.
Embiid has played only 13 games this season. The Sixers are 7-6 with Embiid and 8-15 without him; Add that up, and it’s a 15-21 record for a team that features All-Stars Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, but is out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
“We’re definitely better with Joel out there, that’s a fact,” George said. “We’re better off with the big guy back in the lineup with us.”
George has had irregularities in the first season of his four-year, $212 million contract. He has struggled with injuries and his shot in his first season in Philadelphia and hasn’t found the consistent rhythm expected of the nine-time All-Star. Against New Orleans, George had a basket and three fouls at 8:13 of the second quarter. In the second half, George hit five 3-pointers and scored 23 of his 25 points.
Maxey scored 30 points in 40 minutes and continues to log plenty of minutes trying to carry the scoring load in Embiid’s absence.
“It just seemed to me like we didn’t have the pop energy we needed throughout the game,” Nurse said.
Embiid, the 2022-23 NBA MVP, is averaging 24.4 points and 7.9 rebounds this season, below his career averages. He has also missed games due to left knee soreness, a sinus fracture and a three-game suspension for an altercation with a reporter in the locker room.
The nurse said Embiid’s knee has been “pretty good” and that the main problem is in his foot.
Embiid’s absence put a damper on a game in which Pelicans big man Zion Williamson was also missing due to a suspension for violating team policies.
And the 76ers played without Andre Drummond (sprained left toe), Kyle Lowry (strained right hip) and KJ Martin (left foot).
The Sixers ruled out rookie Jared McCain for the rest of the season on Thursday following left knee surgery last month for a torn meniscus.
McCain, 20, spent one season at Duke before the Sixers selected him in the first round of the 2024 draft. McCain, the 16th pick, was off to a fantastic start and averaged 15.3 points in 23 games. He started eight games and became an instant fan favorite, largely leading to amassing nearly 5 million followers as a TikTok sensation.
“Not only was he a great choice by our organization, but he really had a positive impact on the team,” Nurse said. “I think any rookie picked in that range that comes in and rises to the top of all the rookies is a credit to the player and the organization as well.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
