76ers' Joel Embiid Doubtful for Game 5 vs. Wizards with Knee Injury

The Philadelphia 76ers may have to try and clinch their first-round playoff series against the Washington Wizards without Joel Embiid.

The star is doubtful for Wednesday's Game 5, the team announced Tuesday. Embiid took a spill after going up for a layup early in Game 4 on Monday and did not return to the game due to right knee soreness.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, he had an MRI on the knee Tuesday and will undergo further evaluation. 

Embiid logged eight points and six rebounds in 11 minutes on the court Monday, leading a 76ers squad that looked primed to capture a first-round playoff series for the first time since 2019. 

But once he left the court, Washington was able to steal a 122-114 victory in the face of 21 points and 13 rebounds from Tobias Harris and four other Philadelphia players who also logged double-digit points. 

Bradley Beal led the charge for Washington with 27 points. 

As for filling the void at center, Dwight Howard, Mike Scott and Ben Simmons saw time at the position, but only the latter was a convincing option after Monday's game. Howard scored one point with four rebounds and a pair of assists in 14 minutes, while Scott missed all four of his field-goal attempts. 

Simmons was productive with 13 points and 12 rebounds, though moving him from his traditional guard position would force another body—some combination of Shake Milton, George Hill or Furkan Korkmaz—to start in his place.

The 76ers have three more chances to clinch the series after allowing Washington the Game 4 victory, and guard Danny Green has a positive outlook regarding the near future even with Embiid's availability questionable. But he recognized the impact the big will have on the team's success further down the road.

"We're going to need him to be the last team standing, to win," he told reporters. "It doesn't mean we can't win the next game without him."

But if the 76ers have concerns about their longevity without Embiid, they may not have to worry. Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com reported that the 76ers "feel good about the ability to manage Embiid's health from a long-term/overall playoff perspective." 

With or without Embiid, Game 5 will go on at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday.