Joel Embiid Injury, Latest Return Timeline for 76ers Star After MRI on Oblique

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will miss at least the next three games after suffering a strained right oblique, the team announced on Saturday.

As a result, Embiid is scheduled to miss games against the Boston Celtics, the San Antonio Spurs and the Utah Jazz.

The 76ers are currently sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference at 33-26 and Embiid is putting up 26.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Embiid has been on and off the court this season because of knee soreness and load management, playing just 33 contests.

Embiid has had the seasons since his 2022-23 MVP campaign derailed by injuries. He suffered a torn lateral meniscus during the 2023-24 campaign, which forced him to miss most of the second half of that season.

Last season, things were even worse as he played just 19 games before being shut down in February. He also underwent arthroscopic surgery in April.

Given the way things have gone over the last few seasons, the 76ers are understandably being cautious about how much they play Embiid in hopes of keeping him healthy for the postseason.

While Embiid is far from the MVP-caliber version of himself these days, Philadelphia is getting an MVP-caliber season from star guard Tyrese Maxey. The 25-year-old is posting 29.1 points and 6.8 assists per game this year and has been the driving force of the 76ers' offense.

As good as Maxey has been, having a fully-healthy Embiid alongside him makes Philadelphia a Finals contender, so the Sixers will hope to have their center back on the court soon.