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Joel Embiid is averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists over 38 games this season.<\/p>\n
HOUSTON (AP) \u2014 Joel Embiid had an appendectomy in Houston on Thursday after Philadelphia\u2019s star big man was stricken with appendicitis overnight.<\/p>\n
The team announced that the surgery had been completed as the 76ers were playing the Houston Rockets Thursday night. Coach Nick Nurse said Embiid felt fine in practice on Wednesday before he learned of the situation Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey had said that he had in the middle of the night, like 3, 3:30 (a.m.) or something, contacted them to say he was not feeling well,\u201d Nurse said. \u201cAnd so I think that\u2019s kind of when this particular incident started.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nurse said the team learned of Embiid\u2019s diagnosis while preparing for the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey finally got him to the doctor and they had the scan and then decided they needed to do the surgery here in Houston,\u201d Nurse said.<\/p>\n
pic.twitter.com\/n9IbD8CtJk<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The coach did not give a timetable for Embiid\u2019s return, but it seems unlikely that the former MVP would be able to return for the play-in tournament or the first round of the playoffs.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a tough blow,\u201d Nurse said.<\/p>\n The 76ers entered Thursday in eighth place in the Eastern Conference and on track for a spot in the play-in tournament, though they were only one game behind<\/a> sixth-place Toronto.<\/p>\n Embiid has been limited to 38 games this season, sitting out primarily to manage injuries to his knees.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve played different stretches of the year without him,\u201d Nurse said. \u201cAs far as what we do personnel-wise, we\u2019ve got (Adem) Bona, we got (Andre) Drummond and we\u2019ll use them both. And then hopefully we can use (Thursday) and (Friday) and Sunday get back to getting used to that scenario again.\u201d<\/p>\n Embiid was\u00a0held out against the Detroit Pistons\u00a0on Saturday. He has not played in both games of a back-to-back all season.<\/p>\n After missing Saturday\u2019s game, Embiid had 34 points and 12 rebounds in Philadelphia\u2019s\u00a0115-102 loss<\/a>\u00a0at San Antonio on Monday night.<\/p>\n Embiid, 32, is averaging 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds this season after playing in only 19 games in 2024-25. He hasn\u2019t appeared in as many as 40 games in a regular season since 2022-23, when he averaged a career-best 33.1 points and\u00a0earned MVP honors<\/a>.<\/p>\n Embiid expressed his frustrations with Daryl Morey, the 76ers\u2019 president of basketball operations, on Friday night for not allowing him to play\u00a0at Washington\u00a0last week.<\/p>\n \u201cI was (ticked) off. I wanted to play basketball,\u201d Embiid said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t allowed to play basketball, so I think this is more of a question of Daryl Morey or whoever makes the decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n Nurse said it\u2019s on him to keep the team upbeat with the postseason approaching.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to pick ourselves up,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m the leader of the team, I\u2019ve got to pick the guys up and they\u2019ll understand the situation and we\u2019ve got to be professional and we\u2019ve got to go try to figure it out the best we can.\u201d<\/p>\n