Joel Embiid Will Not Play vs. Heat Due to Ankle Injury

The Philadelphia 76ers will reportedly be without big man Joel Embiid for Wednesday's game against the Miami Heat.

Derek Bodner of The Athletic reported Embiid will not suit up because of an ankle injury. Bodner previously reported the Kansas product was questionable because of soreness and would go through his pregame routine to see if he could play.

Any health concerns with Embiid are sure to sound the alarm for 76ers fans after he missed the first two seasons of his career with foot injuries and played in just 31 games in 2016-17 before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

However, Bodner's indication he was questionable before the contest suggests this isn't particularly serious, and giving him the night off before the team heads into the All-Star break provides him even more time to get healthy before the stretch run.

Philadelphia's first game after All-Star Weekend isn't until Thursday, Feb. 22, against the Chicago Bulls.

Maintaining Embiid's long-term health is of critical importance for the 76ers if they are going to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign. They currently hold the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference but are just two games behind the fourth-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and three games ahead of the ninth-seeded Detroit Pistons in a tight race.

Embiid is averaging 23.7 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks a night in 44 games this season as a focal point of the offense and anchor for the interior defense.