The Philadelphia 76ers will be without All Star point guard Ben Simmons for the foreseeable future as he continues to recover from a nerve impingement in his lower back. Simmons suffered the injury during the opening minutes of the Sixers' loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on February 22nd.
The team announced on Wednesday that Simmons will miss at least three more weeks before being reevaluated, and they have not provided a timeline for his return.
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With the exception of the few minutes Simmons played against Milwaukee on February 22nd, the Sixers have been without the 23-year old star ever since the All Star break. During that time, the team has gone 4-5 and dropped to sixth in the Eastern Conference with an overall record of 38-26. If the season ended today, they'd be looking at a first round matchup against the Boston Celtics.
The Sixers will kick off a four-game home stand tonight against the Detroit Pistons, followed by games against the Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors. Even if Simmons is given the green light to return immediately after he is reevaluated in three weeks, there will be just seven games remaining on the Sixers' regular season schedule.
In his 54 appearances this season, Simmons is averaging 16.9 points, 8.3 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game.
Sixers Reveal Joel Embiid’s Shoulder Injury Status
Philadelphia 76ers All Star center Joel Embiid receives positive news regarding the shoulder injury he suffered on Wednesday night.
Stop me if you've heard this one before: Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has suffered an injury and will be out for at least a week.
The oft-injured All Star exited Wednesday's game just eight minutes after tipoff, following a collision with Cleveland Cavaliers' big man Ante Zizic but there's hope that he won't miss much action. The team announced on Thursday that Embiid did not have structural damage in his sprained left shoulder and he will be re-evaluated in a week.
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The Sixers picked up a win over the New York Knicks on Thursday night without the help of Embiid nor Ben Simmons, who is expected to miss at least two weeks with a back issue. To date, Embiid has missed 17 games this season due to either injury or suspension although there does seem to be some encouragement from the Sixers in the fact that his latest injury does not appear to be too severe.
"The fact that there is no structural damage we all hear loudly," Sixers head coach Brett Brown said on Thursday, per ESPN. "Maybe it's a simple as that in some ways. Of course, it's as much from the personal standpoint as it is a selfish coach, he's looking forward to this run home, this final third, this responsibility, no Ben [Simmons] for how long we'll all figure out in time. To learn that from him and his perspective, from the team perspective that is exciting news."
Up next for the Sixers is a four-game West coast road trip, including matchups against the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers.
Ben Simmons’ Back Injury Receives New Diagnosis: Report
Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons is crucial to the success of his team but a back injury has kept him out of the lineup.
Ben Simmons has consistently been one of the best players on the Philadelphia 76ers over the last few seasons. While he has struggled with his jump shot, Simmons has become a beast around the rim and is almost impossible to move out of the paint. Having said that, the Sixers were in panic mode this morning as it was revealed that his back injury might be worse than expected. After undergoing some tests today, it was revealed that Simmons could be out for the foreseeable future.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Simmons has a nerve impingement in his lower back. This makes it much harder to move and in his current state, Simmons wouldn't even be able to think about playing. Instead, Simmons will be re-evaluated in two weeks and by then, doctors will have a better sense of when he can return.
This is horrible news for the Philadelphia 76ers who were just getting out of a terrible slump. Simmons is critical to their success and now, they will have to completely lean on Joel Embiid who has been inconsistent at times, this season. While the Sixers are still a playoff team, if they don't get Simmons back soon, their chances could be greatly affected.
Stay tuned for updates on Simmons as we will be sure to bring them to you.
Joel Embiid Flips Off Hawks’ Huerter For Breaking Unwritten Rule
Joel Embiid offers apology after flipping off Hawks guard Kevin Huerter for stealing the ball in the final seconds.
Philadelphia 76ers All Star center Joel Embiid had himself a night at the Wells Fargo Center on Monday, as he racked up a career-high 49 points with 14 rebounds, three assists and three steals in a 129-112 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Embiid capped off his career night with a highlight reel-worthy step back three in the closing minute, followed by a celebratory dance that surely got under the skin of Hawks guard Kevin Huerter.
As seen in the footage embedded below, Huerter snuck up and stole the ball from Embiid as he was attempting to dribble out the clock with a 17-point lead in hand, which prompted Embiid to send a middle finger his way.
Of the incident, Embiid told reporters during the post-game:
“There’s always this thing you shouldn’t shoot the ball if you’re up 20. I think it should go both ways… If the other team is going to keep playing defense and shooting the ball at the other end, we should go out and score.”
“I also want to say sorry for what I did at the end of the game," Embiid said. "Ya’ll probably saw that on TV, I am sorry.”
As a result of Monday's win, the Sixers improved to 36-22 on the season, which ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference. Up next for Embiid and co. are a pair of games against the East's bottom feeders, as they visit Cleveland on Wednesday, followed by a home game against the Knicks on Thursday night.
Sixers’ Ben Simmons Injury Update: "A Real Level Of Concern"
Philadelphia's All Star Ben Simmons expected to be sidelined for an undetermined period of time following back injury.
Philadelphia 76ers All Star Ben Simmons is expected to miss an extended period of time following the back injury he suffered during the opening minutes of Saturday night's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Simmons, 23, was said to be "emotional" after leaving the X-ray room at Fiserv Forum, and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that there's "a real level of concern" about the severity of the issue.
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Although the team has not yet determined a timetable for Simmons' return, he is expected to miss the team's upcoming road trip which includes nationally televised matchups against the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers. According to Wojnarowski, the Sixers are expected to announce the next steps in Simmons' recovery, and possibly a timetable for his return, as soon as Tuesday.
Simmons is averaging 16.9 points, 8.3 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game this season. Head coach Brett Brown started second-year guard Shake Milton in Simmons' absence on Monday night, although Josh Richardson also got some minutes at the point.
The Sixers (36-22) currently rank fifth in the Eastern Conference as they prepare for a pair of games against the East's bottom feeders, including a trip to Cleveland on Wednesday followed by a home game against the Knicks on Thursday night. After that, they'll head to Cali for their four-game road trip.
Joel Embiid Dubs Himself "Best Player In The World"
Philadelphia Sixers All Star center Joel Embiid thinks he's more than just the best big man in the league, declares himself "the best player in the world."
Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid came out of the All Star break with a bang on Thursday night, scoring a game-high 39 points with 16 rebounds in a 112-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. The 25-year old center has established himself as one of the most dominant big men in the NBA today, and his confident seems to be at an all-time high, as he described himself as "the best player in the world" following the win over Brooklyn.
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Embiid told reporters, per ESPN:
"The All-Star Game was fun. Being there in the fourth quarter, doing my thing at the end of the game, I thought it was great.
"But the All-Star Game, just proving I'm here, I belong, and being the best player in the world, I just intend to keep coming out every single night and just play hard and trying to get wins and just go out and try to win a championship."
In response to his comments about being the best player in the world, Embiid was asked if there is any added significance to the Sixers' upcoming showdown with reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks.
"For sure. We beat them pretty bad in the first matchup, they got us the last one, so it's on us to go out there and try to beat them again."
"I felt like the first part of the season I was trying to make sure everybody was comfortable, tried to take a step back," he said, per ESPN. "But if we are going to go somewhere, I've got to be one of the guys [doing it]."
Through 40 games this season, Embiid is averaging 23.3 points, 12 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. The Sixers (35-21) will visit the Bucks (47-8) on Saturday night in a game that will air on ABC at 8:30pm ET.
Joel Embiid Speaks On His Love-Hate Relationship With Sixers Fans
Embiid embraces the challenge.
Joel Embiid has been one of the best big men in the NBA over the last few years but that hasn't stopped him from receiving a ton of criticism from both fans and pundits. Over the last month or so, Embiid has been inconsistent and the fans are starting to get annoyed. This past week, rumors began circulating about whether or not Embiid could be traded in the summer and, once again, the fans were sent into a tailspin.
Last night, Embiid was booed in front of the hometown crowd and it was clear he was on a mission. Embiid scored 26 points in a win against the Los Angeles Clippers and afterward, he spoke about the love-hate relationship he has with the fans in Philadelphia.
“Felt great. They be going at me; I went back at them. We’re all human beings. If I can take it, then everyone else can take it too. So we move on, we learn from it, we move on. I gotta do a better job. They gotta do a better job," Embiid said per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “I understand where that comes from, but then again, if you dish it, you gotta be able to take it back. But at the end of the day, like I said in my location last night, it’s all love. I love my city. I been here for a long time now. We have a special relationship, and I’m happy to be here. I can’t wait for the future, especially this year. I think we can accomplish something great.”
With less than 30 games to play in the regular season, expect Embiid and the Sixers to be one of the frontrunners coming out of the East. Perhaps they're the only team that could beat the Milwaukee Bucks at this point.
Joel Embiid Tells His Own Crowd To Shut Up After Last Minute Dagger
Embiid has had a rollercoaster season.
When he's healthy and playing to the best of his capabilities, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers is one of if not the best big man in the entire NBA. Embiid is an absolute menace out on the court and the 76ers have benefitted greatly from his abilities. Despite this, it hasn't always been easy for Embiid. The star has hit a bit of a rough patch and last week, he was being criticized by almost everyone for his inconsistent play. Last night, Embiid was looking to change the narrative and came through with a game in which he scored 28 points while leading his team to a 118-111 win.
With under 40 seconds left to play in the game, Embiid knocked down a huge three-pointer to give his team a comfortable lead. After making the shot, Embiid shushed the crowd. Of course, this is a gesture you would typically make on the road but after all the criticism thrown his way as of late, it seemed as though he felt the need to silence his haters, even the ones in his own city.
This weekend, the 76ers won two straight games and are now back in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. If the playoffs were to start today, they would play the Miami Heat which means Jimmy Butler would face his old team. Regardless of what happens, we are in for a phenomenal last 30 games of the NBA season.
Charles Barkley Shockingly Compares The 76ers To The Cleveland Browns
The Sixers are going through it right now.
Over the past few weeks, the Philadelphia 76ers have been dealing with a whole lot of inconsistent play. Fans are starting to worry about the team's bility in the playoffs, despite being touted as a contender to win the championship. Pundits like Stephen A. Smith and Shaq have been incredibly critical of the team and last night, Charles Barkley entered the fold with a hot take of his own.
In the clip below, Barkley compares the Sixers to the Cleveland Browns of the NFL. As he explains, the Sixers have a lot of talent and talk a big game but simply haven't met expectations. The assessment was quite harsh but as a former Sixer himself, we're not surprised Barkley would feel that way.
"I think they are the softest, mentally weakest team that had a bunch of talent. They are the Cleveland Browns of the NBA," Barkley said. "They got a lot of talent, and they talk the talk, and that’s it. Last summer, and I feel for it, one of our bosses he had me on the Cleveland Browns bandwagon, cause they came out telling everyone how good they were going to be, and then they got punched in the mouth in Game 1 and punched the rest of the season."
As of right now, the Sixers are comfortably in sixth place in the Western Conference with a record of 31-21. They are now on a four-game losing streak and are beginning to tear apart at the seams. If they want to turn things around, they'll need their two stars, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, to pick up their play.
Al Horford Admits There Are Problems In The 76ers Locker Room
The 76ers have a lot to fix right now.
Heading into this season, the Philadelphia 76ers were heralded as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. With players like Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Al Horford, it was believed the Sixers would dominate and even get to the finals. So far, the 76ers have been a bit of a disappointment as they currently boast a record of 31-20 and are sixth in the Eastern standings. Just a couple of nights ago, the Sixers were blown out by 31 points at the hands of the Miami Heat and now, pundits are questioning their ability to succeed.
Today, 76ers player Al Horford was asked whether or not anyone in the locker room needs to be called out for their play. As he explained, "there's some stuff going on" and that the team is looking to keep everything "internal" for the time being. With this being said, it's clear the 76ers have some deep issues to work out.
If you're a 76ers fan, this certainly has to be hard to watch. Many felt like this team could rival the Milwaukee Bucks and would be in a prime position to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers or Clippers in the NBA Finals. With over 30 games left to play, the Sixers will be looking to clean up their act and get back on a winning track.
Do you think the 76ers can turn things around and make a deep run in the playoffs?