76ers’ Joel Embiid downgraded against Timberwolves originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
On Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers are slated to welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves into the Wells Fargo Center, as they’ll look to build on their win from Wednesday night. That victory came against the Washington Wizards, in a dominant, 153-131 fashion, as the Sixers were firing off on all cylinders.
Paul George led the way for Philadelphia, dropping 39 points with six makes from beyond the arc, while V.J. Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey had strong individual performances, combining for 41 points.
While Maxey and George took the court, the third head of Philadelphia’s three-headed monster, Joel Embiid, didn’t, as he was listed as out due to an illness. His absence brought to an end a three-game stretch in which the Cameronian appeared after a lengthy stint on Philadelphia’s bench.
It appears that Embiid isn’t a guarantee for Friday night’s match, as the Sixers’ injury report has him listed as ‘doubtful’ due to an illness. If the former MVP is to miss out on the action, it’d be a certain blow to Nick Nurse’s squad, as they’ll have to look for an answer to Rudy Gobert’s interior presence elsewhere.
This usually leads Nurse to look towards second-year center Adem Bona and veteran big man Andre Drummond to get increased shifts in the Sixers’ front court. Against Washington, Bona finished the match with 13 points and four rebounds to his name, while Drummond finished his 24-minute stint with six points and nine rebounds.
Embiid’s health will certainly be a storyline to keep an eye on in the lead-up to Friday night’s affair, as each match moving forward will be important to Philadelphia’s playoff hopes, currently looking to avoid the Play-In tournament altogether.
Tip-off between Minnesota and Philadelphia on Friday night is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST.
More NBA news:
Lakers’ J.J. Redick backs Luka Doncic in tight NBA MVP raceKristaps Porzingis’ future with Warriors gets major update from NBA insiderLakers’ LeBron James, Bronny James accomplish NBA firstJa Morant won’t play for Grizzlies this season, or perhaps ever againVictor Wembanyama makes strong case for why he should win NBA MVP award
