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Report: 76ers star Joel Embiid to undergo surgery for appendicitis
It's unclear how long the 76ers star will be out.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is set to undergo surgery after being diagnosed with appendicitis Thursday afternoon, according to multiple reports.
The 76ers ruled Embiid out for Thursday night’s matchup against the Rockets with an illness. It is not immediately clear how long Embiid will be out.
With five games remaining, the 76ers are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics, who are the No. 2 seed, could possibly play the 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.
Boston’s first-round opponent will be the winner of the No. 7-seed vs. the No. 8 seed in the play-in tournament. If the season ended today, that would be either Philadelphia or Orlando. The Celtics beat the Magic in the first round last year before falling to the Knicks.
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Those standings could shift. Philadelphia is a game back of Toronto for the No. 6 seed. The 76ers would avoid the play-in tournament — and likely a first-round date with the Celtics if they can get the No. 6 seed.
Charlotte, in ninth place, is just a half game back of Philadelphia. The winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 game goes to the other side of the bracket to face top-seeded Detroit.
Embiid has played in 38 games this season. The last time he played more than 40 games in a season was back in 2023.
The Sixers just got Paul George back from his 25-game suspension over the use of a banned substance late last month. Now, there’s a chance they could be without Embiid with the postseason quickly approaching.
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Embiid is averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game this season.
The Celtics and 76ers have split the four-game regular-season series. Three of the games were decided by two points or less. Boston beat Philadelphia by 16 the last time they played on March 1.
Embiid missed two of those games. He scored four points on 1-for-9 shooting in the season opener, and he had a 20-point, six rebound outing on Oct. 31.
The regular-season concludes on April 12. The Play-In Tournament will be played from April 14-17.
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