76ers' Joel Embiid out at least 4 weeks after knee procedure

76ers’ Joel Embiid out at least 4 weeks after knee procedure،

Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPNFebruary 6, 2024, 3:06 p.m.

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid underwent surgery on his left knee Tuesday morning and will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks, the team announced.

The next few weeks of recovery and rehab will be paramount, but some believe the door remains open for Embiid's return to the regular season, sources told ESPN.

Embiid, the reigning MVP, has suffered injuries to both knees during his career, and this one comes at an inopportune time for him and the Sixers. The All-Star center leads the NBA in scoring with 35.3 points per game and was on pace to join Wilt Chamberlain as the only other players to average at least 35 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists over a season. He is also on pace to become the second player (Chamberlain in 1961-62) to average at least one point per minute played.

Embiid, 29, missed Game 5 of the Sixers' 2021 first-round playoff series against the Washington Wizards due to a small meniscus tear in his right knee and underwent season-ending surgery on his left meniscus in 2016-17, missing 37 games.

The 76ers have lost six of their last seven games and have fallen to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings.

Embiid will fall well short of the league minimum of 65 games to earn playoff accolades; he's stuck at 34 games now.

Information from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski was used in this report.