Philadelphia 76ers Reveal Joel Embiid’s Status vs Cavaliers

After wrapping up a three-game trip on the road, the Philadelphia 76ers returned to their practice court on Thursday morning to prepare for a Friday night matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Joel Embiid was spotted putting in some work after the session, but it was revealed he was not a part of the action on Thursday. That was already a bad sign Embiid might sit out against the Cavs on Friday.

Sure enough, that will be the case. According to the 76ers’ injury report, Embiid has been ruled out against the Cavaliers once again.

Not only does his absence on Friday mark his third absence against the Cavs this year, but it’s also the 10th absence in a row for Embiid.

Joel Embiid (knee) to miss at least 7-10 days.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) January 17, 2025

Lately, multiple setbacks have kept Embiid off the court. From the beginning of the year, the star center has been on an injury management plan, taking it easy with his knee, which was surgically repaired last season.

After suffering a sprained foot on Christmas Day, Embiid appeared in four of the Sixers’ next five games. Unfortunately, he re-aggravated the setback, which caused Embiid to miss six games in a row.

Just as Embiid was ready to return from the knee setback, he started experiencing swelling in his knee again. The team ruled him out for at least three games. Friday’s matchup will mark the fourth absence due to knee injury management.

Is Paul George on the Injury Report?

Joel Embiid isn’t the only Sixers star who’s been dealing with a setback lately. Paul George has missed some time lately due to a groin-related setback.

Dating back to January 8, George missed his first game in over a month. Although he returned to appear in two games, George was absent on the first night of the back-to-back set, which started with a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

George was back on the floor to face the New York Knicks for a 43-minute shift. He was downgraded on the injury report for the first road matchup against the Indiana Pacers.

Dec 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (32) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Not only did George miss the matchup against the Pacers, but he was also ruled out against the Milwaukee Bucks the following night. The Sixers lost both games by double digits.

Once again, George was considered questionable in the matchup against the Denver Nuggets. That time around, he wasn’t downgraded.

Cleared for action, George played 28 minutes against the Nuggets. He shot 5-11 from the field, scoring 11 points. George also racked up five rebounds and nine assists. The Sixers dropped the matchup with a 35-point loss.

Heading into the Friday matchup against the Cavs, the Sixers expect to be shorthanded, missing a handful of players. George is not expected to be one of them. The nine-time All-Star has been left off of the injury report and is on pace to play.

The Sixers and the Cavs are slated for a 7 PM ET tip.

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