Joel Embiid strained his oblique against the Heat and will miss at least three games

Here we go again. An MRI revealed today that Joel Embiid suffered a strained right oblique during Philadelphia’s 124-117 win over the Miami Heat on February 26th. He will miss the Sixers’ next three games and be reevaluated after the upcoming back-to-back.

Joel Embiid suffered a strained right oblique vs Heat

#Sixers announced:

An MRI today revealed that Joel Embiid suffered a strained right oblique.

The injury occurred during Philadelphia’s 124-117 victory over Miami on Feb. 26.

Embiid will miss the team’s next three games and be reevaluated following the upcoming back-to-back.

— Dave Uram (@MrUram) February 28, 2026

If you watched that game, this is not entirely shocking. Joel Embiid left the floor in the second quarter, returned a few minutes later visibly grimacing and moving gingerly, at one point waving toward the bench like he was not sure he could continue, and then somehow went out and posted 26 points and 11 rebounds.

At the time it looked like the kind of toughness you applaud. In hindsight it was a player playing through an injury that probably should have ended his night earlier.

Joel Embiid DAGGER vs Heat

JOEL! 🗣️🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/umicwUcq9b

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 27, 2026

The Sixers are 33-26 and very much in the thick of a playoff race. Missing three games hurts. The bigger concern, as it always is with Joel Embiid, is whether this becomes something more than three games. An oblique strain has a habit of lingering, and the Sixers are at a point in the season where every game in the standings matters.

Tyrese Maxey just broke Allen Iverson’s franchise record for three-pointers. The team showed it can win without Embiid at various points this season. But the ceiling drops considerably every time he is not on the floor, and Philadelphia has enough playoff ambition that coasting through a stretch without their best player is not ideal timing.

Maxey breaks Iverson’s franchise three-point record in 124-117 win over the Heat

Three games and a reevaluation. We will see what the reevaluation says.

Join The Chase