Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has been ruled out of Saturday’s game at the Detroit Pistons, the team announced.
Embiid complained of discomfort in his right ankle after the team’s season-opening win against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. He has since been diagnosed with a sprained ankle.
Embiid also took an elbow to the mouth from Boston’s Jaylen Brown. That resulted in a cut lip requiring sutures. The team also said Embiid had a “minor dental procedure” as a result of the play.
He tallied 15 points and 13 rebounds in the team’s opener and is coming off a season in which he played a career-high 64 games.
With Embiid out, the rivalry between he and Pistons big man Andre Drummond will get a night off. Last season, the Sixers 7-footer claimed he “owns a lot of real estate” in Drummond’s head.