76ers: Joel Embiid, James Harden’s Playing Status vs. Warriors

For the second time this season, the Philadelphia 76ers will take on the Golden State Warriors. Heading into the matchup, the Sixers had multiple players on the injury report, including Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Jalen McDaniels.

Considering the 2022-2023 regular season is approaching its end, the Sixers have to be careful with health since they are locked into a playoff berth. While improving beyond the third seed could be a potential goal for the Sixers, getting to the postseason healthy is a priority for Philly.

Therefore, the statuses of Embiid, Harden, and McDaniels were up in the air, as the Sixers will need to make sure they are good to go for the eventual playoff run.

Playing Statuses vs. Warriors

Joel Embiid

During Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls, Joel Embiid checked in for 16 minutes in the first half. When the second half started, Embiid wasn’t on the floor. A notable lead over the Bulls played a part in Embiid’s second-half absence, but so did calf tightness.

The Sixers were optimistic Embiid would return to the court on Friday. According to ESPN's Time Bontemps, Doc Rivers mentioned that Embiid is still "expected to play" on Friday against the Warriors.

James Harden

As the Sixers battled it out against the Bulls on Monday, Harden started dealing with Achilles soreness. While the Sixers didn’t seem overly concerned about it, Harden missed Wednesday night’s matchup against the Bulls.

Although Doc Rivers hoped that Harden would return to the floor on Friday, the star guard will receive additional rest, as he’ll miss his second-straight game.

Jalen McDaniels

A couple of weeks ago, McDaniels suffered a hip contusion against the Washington Wizards. He went on to miss two-straight games. Although he returned last Saturday, McDaniels’ return lasted just two games before he got another night off on Wednesday in Chicago.

Friday's game will make it two absences in a row for McDaniels, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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

MORE SIXERS NEWS

Concerns for Harden: Before and after the Sixers’ win over the Bulls on Wednesday night, Doc Rivers discussed the state of James Harden’s injury. As Harden battles Achilles soreness, the Sixers are looking to play it as safe as possible before playoffs. READ MORE

Embiid’s Opinion: Nobody knew what to think about Joel Embiid’s latest setback during the Wednesday night matchup in Chicago. After the game, Joel Embiid discussed the state of his calf injury, leaving the door open to play sooner than later. READ MORE

Stop Tearing Down Players: Sixers coach Doc Rivers and Nuggets coach Michael Malone sent out a similar message this week regarding the state of the MVP race. As the award races come to an end, Malone and Rivers encourage everybody to stop tearing down candidates. READ MORE