The Philadelphia 76ers, fighting for seeding in the middle of a tight Eastern Conference, got some devastating news on Thursday.
Joel Embiid has been ruled out indefinitely due to an appendectomy in Houston.
While the 76ers are not providing a return timeline, players typically miss about three weeks after this surgery, although some players have been out a month or more. Even an optimistic timeline would have Embiid out during the play-in and the first round of the playoffs (should they advance).
Philadelphia, 43-36, currently sits as the No. 8 seed in the East, but teams are so tightly bunched in the middle of the East that the 76ers could finish anywhere from fifth to 10th.
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Embiid has played in just 38 games this season due to a variety of injuries, but when he has played, he’s been his vintage self, averaging 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. The 76ers have a +5.1 net rating this season when he is on the court.
Tyrese Maxey and Paul George will lead Philadelphia into the postseason. The 76ers play the Houston Rockets on Thursday, have a back-to-back against the tanking Indiana Pacers on Friday, and then close the season on Sunday against another tanking team, the Milwaukee Bucks.
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