NBA Rumors: 76ers' Joel Embiid Out for Game 4 vs. Nets with Sprained Knee Injury

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid suffered a sprained right knee and will miss Game 4 of his team's first-round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.

Wojnarowski provided more information on NBA Countdown:

"If the Sixers can get past the Nets here, there's optimism that Embiid would not miss time in the next round," Wojnarowski reported.

Embiid has dealt with various ailments this season, including foot and calf injuries that forced him to miss time. Injuries are also always going to raise even more concern than usual when it comes to the six-time All-Star because he missed his first two NBA seasons and has never played more than 68 games in a campaign.

When healthy, though, he has arguably been the best player in the league in 2022-23.

In the regular season, he averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 54.8 percent from the field as an MVP candidate. His presence is a major reason the 76ers are legitimate title threats, and they can't afford to be without him for long.

While James Harden can carry the offense at times, the frontcourt combination of Paul Reed, Dewayne Dedmon and Montrezl Harrell isn't exactly a list of dominant All-Stars to fill in for Embiid. Reed, who has served as Embiid's backup in the playoffs, should be called to step up in his absence.

The 76ers surely need their star big man back and healthy to challenge for a championship. For now, they are focused on finishing their best-of-seven series against the Nets. Philadelphia has a 3-0 lead and would finish Brooklyn off with a win Saturday.