Joel Embiid injury update: Sixers star out for Christmas Day game vs. Heat with ankle sprain – CBS Sports

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Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid has been ruled out for the Philadelphia 76ers‘ Christmas Day matchup with the Miami Heat due to a sprained right ankle, the team announced on Sunday. Embiid did not travel with the team and his status moving forward is unclear, according to Shams Charania. Additionally, he is receiving daily treatment, per Charania. The Sixers’ next game after Christmas is on Dec. 27 against the Orlando Magic. 
Embiid suffered the sprain while trying to contest a shot in the middle of the first quarter of the Sixers’ win over the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 22. 
The nature of the injury and his initial reaction had everyone inside Wells Fargo Center and watching on TV nervous, but he was able to remain in the game and finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and four blocks. In the process, he extended his streak of 30-point, 10-rebounds games to 13; only Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have longer such streaks. 
For the season, Embiid is averaging 35 points, 11.7 rebounds, six assists and two blocks per game. He is the only player in the league in the top-10 in scoring (first), rebounding (fifth) and blocks (10th), and has more points (874) than minutes played (854) — something only Chamberlain has done before. Furthermore, Embiid is on pace to join Chamberlain as the only players to average 35 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for a season. As a result of his historic dominance, Embiid is currently the MVP favorite at +140 odds, per Caesars Sportsbook. 
With Embiid leading the way, the new-look Sixers are 20-8, which is good for third place in the Eastern Conference and the fourth-best record in the league. At least thus far they have had no trouble adjusting to life without James Harden, and look like a real contender at the top of the East. 
The good news for the Sixers is that even if Embiid ends up missing a few games, this does not appear to be a serious issue. It is a reminder of Embiid’s health concerns, though, and how much the Sixers rely on him. So far they are 20-5 with him in the lineup and 0-3 when he sits, with two of those losses coming by double digits. 
Zooming out, Embiid’s absence is a major blow for the NBA’s Christmas Day slate, which will feature five games from noon ET through the end of the night. Other notable players who will be sitting out on the league’s marquee day include Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving and Phoenix Suns starters Jusuf Nurkic and Bradley Beal. 
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