At 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the Sixers ruled out Joel Embiid (right knee injury management) and Paul George (right ankle sprain) for their home game against the Orlando Magic set to begin seven-plus hours later. Additionally, Tyrese Maxey (right shoulder sprain) was upgraded to available.
Embiid, who has not played since Nov. 8 and will now miss his eighth game in a row, had been listed as questionable to make his return on Tuesday. It is the second time in a week the Sixers have listed him as something other than out the day before a game and then ruled out him out hours before tip-off. George and Maxey had both been listed as probable.
Of Embiid's eight straight absences, the last seven have now come as a result of a right knee issue he initially reported to the Sixers on the morning of Nov. 11. Embiid was subsequently ruled out for that night's game and has not played in two weeks since, but the Sixers continue to assert that the former NBA MVP, who has been fully participating in practices, is merely day-to-day.
"Same as it was," Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said on Monday when asked about Embiid's status. "He's still day-to-day... Just waiting for doctors to clear him."
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