BOSTON _ There has been speculation that 76ers center Joel Embiid might miss the final 26 games of the season with knee injuries.
Brett Brown put that speculation to rest on Wednesday. The Sixers coach was asked when Embiid was projected to return to the court. Wednesday's matchup against the Boston Celtics at T.D. Garden marked the 11th straight game he has missed after suffering a bone bruise in his left knee on Jan. 20 against the Portland Trail Blazers. Embiid has missed 14 of the last 15 matchups. An MRI exam revealed that he also has a slightly torn meniscus.
"I don't know the timing," Brown said. "But I do know that the thought is he's going to come back and play. I don't know the timing. That's probably the thing that I am told, and the fans deserve to hear as much as anything that comment."
Embiid will not compete in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday in New Orleans as part of the NBA's All-Star weekend. He will be replaced by Denver Nuggets post player Nikola Jokic in Saturday's Skills Challenge.
