MIAMI — Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid is not going to play in Philadelphia’s Christmas evening sport towards the Miami Heat, with the 76ers ruling him out due to a sprained proper ankle.
Embiid didn’t fly with the Sixers on Sunday to Miami. He bought harm throughout Friday’s win over Toronto.
It’ll be the fourth sport Embiid has missed this season for the 76ers, who’re third within the Eastern Conference and fourth total within the NBA, coming into Monday with a 20-8 report. He has been on a tear in December, averaging 40.2 factors and 12.6 rebounds on 61% capturing in 9 appearances to this point this month.
For the season, Embiid is averaging a league-best 35 factors per sport – on tempo proper now to win his third consecutive scoring title. He’s had no less than 30 factors and 10 rebounds in every of his final 13 video games, the NBA‘s longest such streak since 1972 when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it in 16 straight contests.
Embiid played most of Friday’s sport towards the Raptors after hurting the ankle whereas making an attempt to dam a shot halfway via the primary quarter. He was scoreless at that time, had 11 factors by halftime and scored 20 extra within the second half.
The crew evaluated Embiid’s standing over the weekend and decided that him enjoying Monday wouldn’t be smart. It’s attainable he might rejoin the crew for its sport Wednesday at Orlando.
The Heat could also be with out Jimmy Butler on Monday. Butler has missed Miami‘s last two games with a calf strain and did not practice Sunday, though he was listed as questionable for the nationally televised matchup against the 76ers.
Embiid‘s absence makes the Heat-76ers game the only one on the NBA‘s Christmas quintuple header slate that won’t function a earlier winner of the MVP award. The Milwaukee-New York sport contains Bucks ahead Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Denver-Golden State sport has Nikola Jokic for the Nuggets and Stephen Curry for the Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers’ sport towards Boston has four-time MVP LeBron James and the Phoenix-Dallas nightcap contains Suns ahead Kevin Durant.
