The Philadelphia 76ers are seemingly facing the same question as last season regarding Joel Embiid’s health. The center big man’s latest scare against the Boston Celtics has added to the situation that looks less convincing.

It has now drawn criticism from Bill Simmons, who questioned the way the Philadelphia 76ers center reacts when he goes down. Speaking on his podcast, Simmons accused Embiid of exaggerating injuries and compared his reactions to a child pretending to be hurt.

“He’s milking an injury where it’s like you’re in first grade watching the kid who keeps pretending he’s hurt… went down like he’d been shot,” Simmons said.

Bill Simmons calls out Joel Embiid for exaggerating injuries

"He’s milking an injury where it’s like you’re in first grade watching the kid who keeps pretending he’s hurt… went down like he’d been shot."

"The falling down, the flopping, it’s just hard to support. This is… pic.twitter.com/GloflSciIq

— NBABase (@TheNBABase) November 11, 2026

“The falling down, the flopping, it’s just hard to support. This is somebody who’s one of the best 75 players of all time,” the analyst added.

The comments followed Embiid's awkward fall during Tuesday's matchup against Boston. The center missed a transition layup while attempting to draw a foul from Jayson Tatum, then lost his footing and appeared to tweak his ankle as he landed.

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Embiid stayed down briefly before getting back up and limping toward the other end of the court. Paul George also accidentally made contact with the same area while chasing the rebound. Embiid eventually walked to the locker room at halftime.

However, the 76ers received some relief when he returned for the second half and immediately knocked down a three-pointer.

Embiid had struggled before the incident, missing all six of his field-goal attempts in 17 first-half minutes. He finished the half with nine points, five rebounds and two turnovers, largely relying on 11 free-throw attempts to get on the scoreboard.