The Sixers might be in trouble without Joel Embiid and other lessons from a 113-102 loss to Houston
The Sixers are now 9-16 without the big man since the turn of the year. With Embiid potentially done for the year, does the Sixers' seed even matter?
The Sixers dropped a must-win game on Thursday against Houston, losing 113-102 to the Rockets on the road.
There are only two games left in the regular season, and the Sixers will be left scoreboard watching to see where they’ll end up. Here’s what we learned:
Recovery down the stretch
For three quarters, Thursday’s game against Houston was a lifeless effort, as the Sixers fought for their playoff lives on the road without Joel Embiid in the lineup.
But the Sixers actually won the fourth quarter 29-17, getting the score to within five in the final two minutes, and prompting Houston to bring their starters back in to close the game out.
» READ MORE: From Bell’s palsy to appendicitis, a history of Joel Embiid’s injuries around the playoffs
VJ Edgecombe led the final unit with Quentin Grimes, Andre Drummond, Dominick Barlow, and Justin Edwards to rally back from 28 down. Edgecombe has shown tremendous growth since the beginning of the year, and despite struggling to start the game, flashed his sky-high potential during that final run. He ended the game with 21 points, with seven points and four assists in that final quarter.
How does it impact seeding?
The Sixers are still fighting to avoid the Play-In Tournament, although that task got even harder without Embiid, who missed Thursday’s game with appendicitis. Entering Thursday, the Sixers were still mathematically in the mix for anywhere from fifth through 10th in the playoff race.
After the loss, the Sixers sit tied with Charlotte for eighth in the East, which would send them on the road to Orlando for the first game of the Play-In Tournament. They don’t control their own destiny for the seven seed, and need the Magic to lose at least one of their remaining games. The Sixers play at Indiana on Friday and host Milwaukee on Sunday. Orlando plays at Chicago on Friday and at Boston on Sunday.
» READ MORE: Another lost postseason for Joel Embiid, but it doesn’t change much for the Sixers
Does any of it matter without Embiid?
All season, the Sixers have struggled to establish themselves without Embiid in the lineup. Their record without Embiid is 19-23 this year, compared to 24-14 with him in the lineup. They’re 9-16 without Embiid since the start of 2026.
It’s not yet clear how long Embiid will be out for, but past NBA players who needed an appendectomy missed over a month. Sixer fans might remember OG Anunoby suffering an appendectomy in late April 2019 that kept him sidelined for the Raptors’ entire championship run. Embiid had successful surgery on Thursday.
The Play-In Tournament could start as early as Tuesday. In a best-case scenario, Embiid would potentially be able to return for Game 3 of a first-round playoff series. That’s if the Sixers can even get to a first-round playoff series without him.