Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid scratches against Utah Jazz with stiff back

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid put out a 134-123 defeat to league-leading Utah Jazz on Monday night.

Embiid was listed as doubtful for the match during the day, but coach Doc Rivers said he was not aware of any issues with his superstar grandfather during the coach’s media session, and told reporters he expected Embiid will play.

But shortly before tip-off, Embiid was ruled out with back tightness. It has been a constant source of discomfort for him that he has been going back a month – and especially since he took a hard fall against the Los Angeles Lakers in Philadelphia on January 27 when he was committed by LeBron James.

Rivers decided to replace Embiid in the starting lineup with Mike Scott, choosing him instead of Dwight Howard. The decision made Ben Simmons the nominal center in a very small lineup against a Jazz team with the best defensive center in Rudy Gobert.

Simmons responded with the best game of his career, and he scored 42 points to pass along with 9 rebounds and 12 assists. But that was not enough to ward off the Jazz’s three-point shooting as the Sixers suffered their third consecutive loss.

Philadelphia falls to 1-5 when Embiid does not play this season, with the lone win coming in Indiana on January 31 and a wild return in the fourth quarter requiring the Sixers to claim the victory.