Is Joel Embiid playing today vs. Thunder? Final status for 76ers star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Philadelphia 76ers will look to stop a two-game skid when they travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder on Sunday afternoon.
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Unfortunately for the Sixers, beating the defending-champion Thunder is easier said than done, as Oklahoma City has lost just five times total this season, with three of those losses coming against the San Antonio Spurs.
Joel Embiid ruled out vs. Thunder due to ankle sprain
Making matters even more difficult for the Sixers will be the fact that they’ll be without star center Joel Embiid, who has been ruled out of the game due to a right ankle sprain and right knee injury management.
Embiid missing time is nothing new for the Sixers this season, as the big man has appeared in just 13 games on the current campaign. In those appearances Embiid has averaged 21.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocks in 27.0 minutes per performance.
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The former league MVP being out on the floor hasn’t necessarily translated to winning for the Sixers, either. The Sixers are 0-4 in games that Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George have played in together. That’s obviously a small sample size, but it’s still a concerning stat nonetheless.
On the season, the Sixers are 16-13, which is good for sixth in the Eastern Conference standings.
The game in Oklahoma City is the second of a five-game road trip for Philadelphia that also includes stops in Memphis, Dallas and New York. Embiid’s status for the remaining games on the road trip is yet to be determined.