Joel Embiid sidelined again by back injury for Sixers-Pacers game

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article_body => "Joel Embiid will miss his fifth game of the 2020-21 season Sunday night in Indiana, and his fourth because of back tightness. <\/p>\r\n\r\nThe All-Star center acknowledged his back was \u201cpretty tight\u201d following his 37-point, 11-rebound effort in the Sixers\u2019 win Friday night over the Timberwolves.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\u201cYou do everything you can,\u201d Embiid said Friday. \u201cMassage, treatment, lifting, cold tub. \u2026 The last treatment that I had last night was around 1 a.m., so even if it means not sleeping, just make sure that the body is right. Obviously, sleeping helps a lot, too. But treatment is the first thing. So, little stuff like that matters. You\u2019ve got to keep on going. It\u2019s hard, but that\u2019s what we get paid for \u2014 got to do your job.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\nThe Sixers entered Sunday's game against the Pacers 0-4 without Embiid this season. They\u2019ve won 14 of 16 games he\u2019s played.<\/p>\r\n\r\nTony Bradley will start in Embiid's place. Head coach Doc Rivers admitted after the Sixers\u2019 loss Monday to the Pistons that he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sixers\/doc-rivers-sixers-dwight-howard-joel-embiid-back-tightness-tony-bradley-al-horford\">thought he should\u2019ve started Bradley.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\u201cI don\u2019t know if it matters one way or the other,\u201d Rivers said. \u201cThey\u2019re both going to play. I actually like Dwight (Howard) playing more with the second group, because that\u2019s what he\u2019s used to. I typically try to do that \u2014 keep at least one group together so you don\u2019t change that.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\nMike Scott is the other Sixers rotation player sidelined Sunday night as he\u2019ll miss his eight consecutive game with right knee swelling. Outside of Scott and Embiid, though, the Sixers should have all of their key players available, and Rivers thinks they have the talent required to beat the 11-8 Pacers. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\u201cA win,\u201d he said when asked what he was looking for. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to win games without Joel, and we haven\u2019t done that and we haven\u2019t played well \u2014 forget the winning part. \u2026 There\u2019s going to be games where Joel misses, games where Ben (Simmons) misses, and we have to win these games. So far, we\u2019ve not done well with them. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\u201cSome of those games \u2026 we had more than Joel out. We can\u2019t forget that. Seth (Curry) was out, Mike was out, (Furkan Korkmaz) \u2014 two or three of those games we had more than just that out. But tonight, we only have Joel out, for the most part. Not having Mike when Joel is not playing hurts us, because we could use Mike as a stretch five, and not having that actually hurts us. But what can you do? Nobody\u2019s going to feel bad for us. I know Indiana\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\nThe Sixers will have two days off after Sunday\u2019s game, followed by a back-to-back Wednesday and Thursday against the Hornets and Trail Blazers. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\u201cI don\u2019t know that he took a step backwards,\u201d Rivers said of Embiid\u2019s injury. \u201cIt\u2019s still sore from the fall. He played through it the other night. It\u2019s not maintenance, but it\u2019s not something that I can see that\u2019s going to take a while.\u201d<\/p>\r\n"
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Sixers

/ by Noah Levick

Sixers

Joel Embiid will miss his fifth game of the 2020-21 season Sunday night in Indiana, and his fourth because of back tightness.

The All-Star center acknowledged his back was “pretty tight” following his 37-point, 11-rebound effort in the Sixers’ win Friday night over the Timberwolves.

“You do everything you can,” Embiid said Friday. “Massage, treatment, lifting, cold tub. … The last treatment that I had last night was around 1 a.m., so even if it means not sleeping, just make sure that the body is right. Obviously, sleeping helps a lot, too. But treatment is the first thing. So, little stuff like that matters. You’ve got to keep on going. It’s hard, but that’s what we get paid for — got to do your job.”

The Sixers entered Sunday's game against the Pacers 0-4 without Embiid this season. They’ve won 14 of 16 games he’s played.

Tony Bradley will start in Embiid's place. Head coach Doc Rivers admitted after the Sixers’ loss Monday to the Pistons that he thought he should’ve started Bradley.

“I don’t know if it matters one way or the other,” Rivers said. “They’re both going to play. I actually like Dwight (Howard) playing more with the second group, because that’s what he’s used to. I typically try to do that — keep at least one group together so you don’t change that.”

Mike Scott is the other Sixers rotation player sidelined Sunday night as he’ll miss his eight consecutive game with right knee swelling. Outside of Scott and Embiid, though, the Sixers should have all of their key players available, and Rivers thinks they have the talent required to beat the 11-8 Pacers.

“A win,” he said when asked what he was looking for. “You’ve got to win games without Joel, and we haven’t done that and we haven’t played well — forget the winning part. … There’s going to be games where Joel misses, games where Ben (Simmons) misses, and we have to win these games. So far, we’ve not done well with them.

“Some of those games … we had more than Joel out. We can’t forget that. Seth (Curry) was out, Mike was out, (Furkan Korkmaz) — two or three of those games we had more than just that out. But tonight, we only have Joel out, for the most part. Not having Mike when Joel is not playing hurts us, because we could use Mike as a stretch five, and not having that actually hurts us. But what can you do? Nobody’s going to feel bad for us. I know Indiana’s not.”

The Sixers will have two days off after Sunday’s game, followed by a back-to-back Wednesday and Thursday against the Hornets and Trail Blazers.

“I don’t know that he took a step backwards,” Rivers said of Embiid’s injury. “It’s still sore from the fall. He played through it the other night. It’s not maintenance, but it’s not something that I can see that’s going to take a while.”