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Sixers will be without Joel Embiid and Robert Covington in Wednesday’s meeting with Atlanta

Embiid, who has also missed two practices, suffered the injury that led to knee swelling in a Friday night loss to the New York Knicks at the Wells Fargo Center.

Sixers center Joel Embiid will miss Wednesday's game against Atlanta with a knee injury sustained in last Friday's game against the Knicks.
Sixers center Joel Embiid will miss Wednesday's game against Atlanta with a knee injury sustained in last Friday's game against the Knicks.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

ATLANTA — Joel Embiid and Robert Covington will miss the 76ers’ game on Wednesday night against the Atlanta Hawks because of left knee swelling.

Embiid suffered the injury Friday night in a loss to the New York Knicks at the Wells Fargo Center. He remained in the game, finishing with 30 points and 10 rebounds. However, Embiid woke up Saturday morning to swelling and missed that night’s home loss to the Utah Jazz. He’s also missed practice sessions the last two days.

Meanwhile, Covington has been sidelined for the past three games. The reserve forward had averaged 4.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals. When available, Embiid has been productive, putting together 30 points and 10 rebounds in 15 consecutive games. The center also has tallied a 30-point double-double in 20 of his 27 games this season, to lead all NBA scorers.

» READ MORE: Here's how the NBA’s new player-participation rule could affect Joel Embiid’s MVP bid

While it’s still early, Embiid is on pace to win his second straight MVP title and third consecutive scoring title.

Currently, he’s averaging a league-best 34.6 points, which is also a career-high. He’s fourth in the NBA in rebounding (11.8) and 10th in blocks (2.0). In addition, he’s producing a career-best 6.0 assists.