Sixers’ Joel Embiid ruled out for Game 3 vs. Celtics
Embiid, who is recovering from an April 9 appendectomy, was listed as doubtful to play on Thursday’s evening’s official injury report.
Joel Embiid was downgraded to out for Game 3 of the Sixers’ first-round series against the Boston Celtics on Friday night.
Embiid, who is recovering from an April 9 appendectomy, was listed as doubtful to play in Game 3 on Thursday evening’s official injury report.
The former MVP had participated in portions of the Sixers’ light practice that day, after resuming individual on-court and strength and conditioning work earlier in the week. Nurse added that Embiid has added some “pretty intense” scrimmaging against teammates and player development coaches to his recovery work.
“Just not ready yet,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “He’s lifting [weights] some. He’s got on-court a bit. But we’re still two weeks and a day [from his surgery].”
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Nurse said Thursday that feedback from the Sixers’ medical staff about Embiid’s recovery has ranged from “sometimes it’s positive [to] sometimes it’s not so.” The coach said they are monitoring how Embiid’s body reacts to an increased physical workload.
The average time missed for an appendectomy is 23 days, according to Jeff Stotts’ In Street Clothes NBA injury database. That mark falls for Embiid on May 2, the day of a hypothetical Game 7 of this first-round series.
Embiid averaged 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 38 games during the regular season. He had a particularly dominant — and available — stretch from mid-December through early February, which put him in contention to be named an All-Star reserve. But this is his latest injury-impacted season, in which he also dealt with an oblique strain, a shin stress reaction, and issues with both knees.
The appendectomy also is part of a long list of ailments that have sidelined or limited Embiid during the postseason. He played through Bell’s palsy during a 2024 first-round loss to the New York Knicks. In 2023, he missed two playoff games with a knee injury. And in 2022, he played through a torn thumb ligament and then missed two games of a second-round loss to the Miami Heat with an orbital fracture.
When asked after Thursday’s practice if Embiid had provided any indication on his recovery timeline, rookie teammate VJ Edgecombe said, “I try not to talk to him about that, because I know everyone else is asking him the same thing.”
“It’s just great to see him around,” Edgecombe added. “Great to see him smiling, talking, because who knows the mental toll it has on him? I’m just glad that he’s OK. It could have been a lot worse.”
Series tied 1-1
Game 1: Celtics 123, Sixers 91 | Murphy: Early offseason?
Game 2: Sixers 111, Celtics 97 | Murphy: Edgecombe steps up
Game 3: Celtics at Sixers, 7 p.m. Friday, Prime Video
Game 4: Celtics at Sixers, 7 p.m. Sunday, NBC/Peacock
*Game 5: Sixers at Celtics, TBD Tuesday
*Game 6: Celtics at Sixers, TBD April 30
*Game 7: Sixers at Celtics, TBD May 2
* If necessary
