76ers vs. Thunder: Joel Embiid’s Playing Status for Saturday

Joel Embiid is back for the Philadelphia 76ers.

On Saturday night, the Sixers are slated to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder for the first time this season. Wrapping up a two-game road trip, the Sixers will benefit from the presence of their MVP big man, Embiid, who missed the team’s previous outing.

Over the last couple of weeks, Embiid has battled with hip soreness. For three straight games, the Sixers listed him as questionable. After Embiid was cleared for action in every outing, he was removed from the injury report for two straight matchups.

Following the team’s Tuesday night loss at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Embiid was under the impression he might get the night off on Wednesday when the Sixers paid a visit to the Minnesota Timberwolves. On the afternoon of the matchup, the Sixers ruled him out due to hip soreness.

The Sixers shook up their starting lineup, and rather than starting Embiid’s backup, Paul Reed, Nick Nurse opted to roll with Marcus Morris in a small-ball lineup. Although Morris got off to a slow start with the unit, his second-half performance showed a lot of promise and likely earned him another look in future matchups.

While Morris and Reed both had decent outings in Embiid’s absence, the Sixers couldn’t overcome the void of the MVP. Philadelphia came up short with a double-digit loss against the Timberwolves. After dropping to 10-5 on the year, the Sixers will look to bounce back against a thriving OKC team on Saturday.

Last season, Embiid faced the Thunder twice. In both outings, he spent 28 minutes on the court. In the first matchup against the Thunder, Embiid produced 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. He was a plus-22 in a blowout matchup for the Sixers.

Roughly two weeks later, Embiid and the Sixers hosted the Thunder. Although the Sixers lost, Embiid had another impressive showing with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists. He knocked down nearly 60 percent of his shots.

Embiid and the Sixers are set to battle it out with the Thunder at 5:00 PM ET on Saturday.