Joel Embiid did not play in the second half of the United States quarterfinal victory over Brazil. Embiid is dealing with some ankle soreness, and Team USA head coach Steve Kerr chose to hold out his starting center as a precaution.
Embiid scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 12 first-half minutes as the United States cruised to victory over Brazil. This was one of the better games Embiid has played for the USA this summer. With a matchup against Nikola Jokic and Serbia looming in the semifinals, Kerr wanted to make sure Embiid would be ready to go on Thursday.