Joel Embiid Ruled Out for 76ers vs. Bucks with Shoulder Injury
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is going to be unavailable for Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Embiid is dealing with a sore right shoulder that he originally suffered in Thursday's 124-117 loss to the Bucks.
This will be the first game Embiid has missed since April 4, snapping a streak of nine consecutive appearances for the MVP candidate. He only played 27 minutes Thursday against the Bucks, finishing with 24 points on just 9-of-21 shooting.
The 27-year-old had a career season interrupted by a nearly three-week absence because of a left knee bone bruise, but he returned to continue his best campaign, with 30 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per game for the 76ers, who are battling the Brooklyn Nets for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
While earning his fourth All-Star nod, Embiid was making a strong case to be named MVP prior to his injury.
It's hard to match the level of production that Embiid can bring to the team—for example, he dropped a whopping 50 points and 17 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls in February. But while he's sidelined, Philadelphia will look to Dwight Howard to fill the hole at center.
The 35-year-old, who was ejected twice in one week at the end of March, is averaging just 6.6 points and 8.3 rebounds this season.
