National Basketball Association

Joel Embiid will reportedly sit out Thursday; MRI and further evaluation needed after leg injury

Updated Jan. 31, 2024 7:09 p.m. ET

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Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will undergo an MRI after the reigning MVP hurt his left leg Tuesday in a 119-107 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Team officials have announced the Sixers' center will miss the team's next matchup on Thursday against Utah and will receive further evaluation on his left knee, ESPN reported. 

Embiid scored 14 points in Tuesday's game before limping to the locker room with 4:04 remaining after Golden State's Jonathan Kuminga fell on the 7-footer's left leg.

This game marked Embiid's return to action after an issue with his left knee prevented him from playing Saturday at Denver — scrapping a highly anticipated matchup with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic — or Monday at Portland.

"He obviously got landed on," 76ers coach Nick Nurse said after Wednesday's game. "They're going to do an MRI tonight or tomorrow. It's kind of unrelated to what's been bothering him. We just wait on that."

Embiid already has missed 12 games this season, jeopardizing his chances of being eligible for a second straight MVP award. The new collective bargaining agreement requires players, in most instances, to play in 65 regular-season games to be eligible for awards such as MVP or the All-NBA teams.

When healthy, Embiid has continued to perform at an MVP level. He is the NBA's leading scorer with 35.3 points per game and also is averaging 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists. He had a franchise-record 70 points to go along with 18 rebounds on Jan. 22 in a 133-124 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

The 76ers next play the Jazz to cap a five-game trip in which they have gone 0-4.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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