76ers vs. Raptors: James Harden’s Playing Status on Friday

The Philadelphia 76ers will take part in their second-straight game at home this week on Friday. Going into their Wednesday night matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, the Sixers had a couple of key names on the injury report, as James Harden and Joel Embiid were questionable.

As we know, both players went through pregame warmups before eventually getting cleared for action. For the first time in a few games, the Sixers’ entire starting five was available. The star center Joel Embiid checked in for 33 minutes.

Meanwhile, James Harden clocked 38 minutes against the Mavericks. After the game, both players claimed they were still dealing with the effects of their setbacks but were healthy enough to play. For Harden specifically, he mentioned that Achilles soreness had been bothering him for months.

Will the star guard miss any additional time moving forward after sitting out for the last four games? Well, the Sixers are likely to monitor Harden and his recent issue on a game-by-game basis. The good news for the Sixers is that Harden is not listed on the injury report for Friday’s game against the Raptors.

Therefore, Harden is on pace to appear in his 55th game this season. Friday will mark the third time Harden will face the Raptors this year. In his three games against Toronto, Harden averaged 37 minutes on the floor.

During that time, the standout guard averaged 14 points, six rebounds, and seven assists while shooting 40 percent from the field and just 27 percent from three.

The Sixers and the Raptors are set to tip off at 7 PM ET.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.