Jahlil Okafor Has CT Scan on Injured Right Knee

Sixers’ center Jahlil Okafor has had a CT scan on his right knee | Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Sixers’ center Jahlil Okafor had a CT scan performed on his right knee Tuesday, head coach Brett Brown revealed before the Sixers took on the Houston Rockets Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

The Sixers’ medical staff has not yet reviewed the results.

“He had a CT scan. It will be reviewed by our doctors tonight, and we’ll be in a position to talk way more in detail about what the results showed,” Brown said. “We’ll be able to make a far more informed decision and give far greater information once we review what this scan actually said.”

The Sixers noticed something different in Okafor’s knee after having Okafor run on a treadmill Monday at practice.

Okafor has missed the previous four games because of shin bruise in the same leg. Brown said they don’t believe the two injuries are related.

Okafor missed two games in late December with soreness in his right knee, the same one that is currently bothering the rookie center.

“It’s the knee that we sat him down for a few games after Christmas, and we’re just concerned. So we had the scan and we’ll know more, I think tomorrow, maybe even later tonight,” Brown said.

Could this be something that will cause the Sixers to shut Okafor down for the rest of the season?

“It’s a fair question. It’s a fair question,” Brown said, before reiterating that they don’t yet have enough information. “I think it’s reckless right now to say what the plan is when we don’t know what the information truly is. I think we might know more after the game, I would imagine we’ll know almost everything tomorrow. But that decision has not even really been discussed.”

Despite the setback, Brown says Okafor’s in good spirit.

“He looks fantastic. I think his spirit’s great. He feels good about himself. I think this knee situation is obviously a concern to all of us,” Brown said. “Once we can figure that all out and set the table and give everybody clear information – me, the media, Jahlil most importantly – then I think that he’ll be in a far better place. But to date he is in a good place.”

While the Sixers will be without Okafor, they will be reinforced by the return of Nerlens Noel, who has missed the last two games with a knee contusion. Brown said Noel will be on a minutes restriction and limited to around 25 minutes of action.

Noel will start at center for the Sixers.

Derek Bodner covers the 76ers for Philadelphia magazine’s Sixers Post. Follow @DerekBodnerNBA on Twitter.