Sixers Are Set to Be Without Former MVP Against Orlando Magic

On Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers welcome the Orlando Magic into the recently rebranded Xfinity Mobile Arena, as they look to build on their spotless 2-0 record.

Their most recent win came against the Charlotte Hornets over the weekend, in a match that looked to be going in Philadelphia's way early on, but proved to be quite the challenge. The Sixers came out the gates swinging, scoring 36 points in the early going, thanks in large part to Tyrese Maxey's 12 points in the first quarter alone.

https://t.co/1SqzEluXQX pic.twitter.com/d8BqAbMAk3
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 26, 2025

Despite this early lead, due to a lackluster second quarter, which saw Philadelphia turn the ball over six times, which the Hornets' Sion James and Collin Sexton would capitalize on, by combining for 18 points.

This offensive surge from Charlotte would continue in the third as they'd outscore Philadelphia 38-25, as Miles Bridges dropped 14 points. However, the Sixers would walk away with the win after Quentin Grimes hit a late three to put Philadelphia ahead of the Hornets, with the final score reading 125-121.

Joel Embiid drives into the paint. — Oct 25, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives against Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) during the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

One player who played a part in Philadelphia's early offensive dominance was former MVP Joel Embiid, who made his second appearance of the season, recording a little more than 20 minutes on the court, in which he'd record 20 points and four assists, with three of his makes from beyond the arc.

What's Joel Embiid's status for the matchup against the Magic?

The explanation behind Embiid's second straight 20-minute performance wasn't all too mind-boggling, as Nick Nurse was limiting his time on the court as the former MVP continues to ramp up to pace for the regular season, following the offseason in which he received surgery on the left knee, which caused him issues for much of last season.

While this approach was the case for the Sixers' matches against the Boston Celtics on Opening Night and the aforementioned Hornets on Saturday night, they'll go for a different approach on Monday, as Embiid has been listed as out due to injury management.

This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise given that late in the offseason, Embiid talked about how he and the Sixers' medical staff would be "listening to his body", and that may be the case for his absence on Monday night.

To fill his shoes, Nurse will have a few options to choose from, whether it's Adem Bona, Johni Broome, or Andre Drummond, who played a huge part in the Sixers' win on Saturday night, recording seven points and 13 rebounds.

The Sixers take on the Magic on Monday night, with tip-off slated for 7:00 p.m. EST.