Jan 27, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on during the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher
For the Sixers, no news is, well, no news.
For those hoping to hear an update on center Joel Embiid on Friday, that was on hold until Saturday morning, when coach Nick Nurse met with the media before the Sixers-Brooklyn Nets game. Understandably, there seemed to be a little frustration in the coach's tone, most likely due to the unenviable situation he's been forced into with so many unavailable players throughout the season.
"He got on court (Friday)," Nurse said of Embiid. "Obviously, not with the team but got on court for an individual workout. So he's feeling a little bit better and that's kind of our next step. He had a good, long workout (Friday). He's just got to feel a little bit better, get on the court a little bit, a little conditioning, all that kind of stuff."
Embiid suffered a right oblique strain while battling for a loose ball against the Miami Heat on Feb. 26. Saturday was the eighth straight game that he has missed. He will be out Sunday when the Sixers host the Portland Trail Blazers. The Sixers then embark on a three-game West Coast trip. Nurse was asked if his center will perhaps be ready to play by then.
"I don't probably want to anticipate anything, but I think there's a chance of that," he said. "There's a chance, yeah, hopeful."
The oblique injury has given Embiid quite a bit of time off the court, which is bad news for the team but perhaps good news for him as it most likely has given his right knee and shin, which have contributed to him missing games during the season, a chance to heal.
"We haven't even talked about that," said Nurse. "I assume it has, though, just in general. He's been in the weight room quite a bit, leading up to yesterday's on-court session. So, he has been getting some work in so I imagine that it's helping."
Asked if Embiid got clearance from doctors recently to up his workouts, Nurse said: "He must have to get cleared on court, yeah."
The frustration is understandable as after the weekend, the Sixers will have played 68 games this season, and Embiid will have missed 35 of them. To make matters a little screwier for Nurse, backup center Andre Drummond was out with a sore back against the Nets and fellow center Adem Bona was battling back spasms, though he was available.
Just another day in Sixerville.
