Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, De’Anthony Melton all out for Sixers vs. Utah Jazz

Joel Embiid (knee swelling), Tobias Harris (ankle soreness), and De’Anthony Melton (back soreness) will all miss the 76ers’ game against the Utah Jazz Saturday night, severely depleting the Sixers’ starting lineup on the second night of a back-to-back.

Reserve swingman Furkan Korkmaz and reserve forward Robert Covington are also out due to illness.

Without three starters, Marcus Morris Sr. and Paul Reed will slide into the first group alongside Kelly Oubre Jr. (who has been starting in place of Melton), Tyrese Maxey, and Nico Batum. Danuel House Jr., Mo Bamba, Jaden Springer, and KJ Martin could all be in line for more playing time, while two-way players Ricky Council IV and Terquavion Smith were both called up from the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats Saturday afternoon.

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Embiid, the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player, was a late addition to the report Saturday evening, after twisting his knee during Friday’s loss to the New York Knicks. Coach Nick Nurse said during his pregame news conference Saturday that Embiid, who is also still rehabbing a sprained ankle that sidelined him for four games, woke up that morning with a “little bit of swelling” in his knee. Embiid did not partake in his normal pregame shooting routine that begins about 45 minutes before tip-off.

Nurse added that Harris told him Saturday that “there’s no swelling at all” in his ankle, “but it is painful.” The coach described it as “more like a jam, and that’s probably going to end up being some type of bruise situation.” Melton, meanwhile, attempted a postgame workout Friday night to determine his back’s readiness to return, but “he didn’t quite get enough done ... to let them pass him for tonight.” Nurse is optimistic Melton will be able to play in the Sixers’ next game Wednesday at the Atlanta Hawks.

Embiid is putting together arguably the best season of his career, entering Saturday leading the NBA in scoring (34.6 points per game) while also averaging 11.8 rebounds, a career-high six assists, and two blocks per game. He has amassed 15 consecutive games with 30 points and 10 rebounds, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to accomplish that feat in NBA history.

Harris is averaging 17.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and three assists per game entering Saturday for the 23-11 Sixers. Melton is one of the NBA’s more disruptive perimeter defenders, ranking third in the league with 1.7 steals per game and fifth with 3.3 deflections per game to go with a career-best 12.1 points, four rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.

Covington leads the NBA in deflections per 36 minutes this season (6.5), while also averaging 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 26 games since rejoining the Sixers in the James Harden trade. Korkmaz has not been part of the Sixers’ regular rotation.