Joel Embiid Not Happy with Sixers Locker Room Leak

The Philadelphia Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey returned to the court on Wednesday night in Memphis, giving the team some optimism with their 'Big 3' on the floor for the first time this season.

Maxey played 5:28 in the first half, and Paul George left with 11:27 left in the third quarter as the Sixers fell to 2-12 in a season that seems to be slipping away.

George was defending the paint on a drive to the basket by Desmond Bane and landed awkwardly.

He would leave the game and not return, with what is being called a left knee hyperextension, a similar injury to what the one suffered in the team's final preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks.

The previous knee injury forced George to miss three weeks including the first five games of the season, and while head coach Nick Nurse suggested he tried to return, the knee stiffened up, and he was ruled out.

The one positive on another dreadful night, was Joel Embiid, who finally looked more like himself, scoring 35 points, with 11 rebounds, two assists, a steal, a block, and got to the line 14 times (14-14).

"Obviously his shooting came back," Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said postgame. We hadn't really seen that.  His tempo, his rhythm, he was taking shots when he was open. He is a talented scorer we know and he had that part of his game going."

However, it wasn't enough.

The trio combined for 45 points, 18 rebounds, and six assists in 72 minutes and another injury.

However, the bigger story was once again in the locker room after the game and not on the floor with Embiid sounding angry about the details of Monday's team meeting leaking out to the media.

“Whoever leaked that is a real piece of s–t,” Embiid said, per Sixers beat writer Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid was referring to the reports that he was challenged by Maxey to be on time for team meetings, practice, and "everything".

On Tuesday former Sixers guard Lou Williams suggested the contents of the meeting were being blown out of proportion, and Embiid seemed to echo that through Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquire.

“I don’t want to get into the details, but that whole thing (with Maxey) probably took 30 seconds. But then again, it’s Joel Embiid, so we’ve got to make everything blown out of proportion. 

Embiid added that he was late one or two times when he wasn't playing and that it wouldn't happen again.

From the Athletic:

"That part of it (tardiness) probably happened once or twice when I wasn’t playing. So I need to be better. I need to be perfect. I need to be on point, which I’m going to do.”

We'll have to wait to find out how long George will be out, if Maxey's minutes will increase, and if Embiid can have another big night on Friday against Brooklyn.