Joel Embiid (ankle) to miss 76ers' Christmas Day game vs. Heat

Joel Embiid (ankle) to miss 76ers’ Christmas Day game vs. Heat،

Tim Bontemps, ESPNDecember 24, 2023, 10:11 p.m.

MIAMI — The Philadelphia 76ers announced Sunday afternoon that NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid will miss Monday night's Christmas game against the Miami Heat because of a sprained right ankle.

Embiid was injured during Friday night's win over the Toronto Raptors when he landed awkwardly while trying to block a shot midway through the first quarter. He then finished the game with 31 points and 10 rebounds and posted his 13th consecutive game with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds, joining Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Elgin Baylor as only players in NBA history. have at least that many consecutive games with these totals.

His 14 straight games with at least 30 points are also the most since Embiid's former teammate James Harden had at least 30 points in 32 straight games during the 2018-19 season.

After Friday's win, Embiid refused to talk about his injury, saying he would have it looked at and “we'll see.”

The 76ers continue their road trip Wednesday in Orlando, and the team said its status for that game has not yet been determined. He did not travel to Miami with his teammates to face Jimmy Butler and the Heat.

“Obviously he stayed in the game and it didn’t change his rotation at all,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said after Friday’s win. “But he played until the end and I'm pretty sure he'll be sore tomorrow. We'll have to monitor him over the next few days before we get on the plane. [to Miami]”.

Philadelphia enters Monday's game with a 20-8 record – good for third place in the Eastern Conference standings – and has the best point differential, second-best offensive rating and second-best defensive rating in the league. The Boston Celtics are the only other team in the top five on offense and defense. The 76ers have won eight of their last nine games and 10 of their last 13 games.

Embiid, meanwhile, is playing arguably the best basketball of his career, leading the league in scoring (35 points per game) and has currently scored more points than minutes played this season. He also averages a career-high 6 assists per game.