Both the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers will be without their best player when they square off on Sunday night at TD Garden.
The Celtics are still without Jayson Tatum, who remains sidelined by an Achilles injury. While he's been practicing lately and appears to be getting closer to making his season debut, it won't be on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the 76ers got bad news on former MVP Joel Embiid, who suffered an oblique injury during Thursday's win over the Miami Heat. Philadelphia announced on Saturday that an MRI confirmed a right oblique strain for Embiid, who will miss at least the team's next three games.
Joel Embiid will miss at least the next 3 games with an oblique injury.
From the Sixers:
An MRI today revealed that Joel Embiid suffered a strained right oblique.
...
Embiid will miss the team’s next three games and be reevaluated following the upcoming back-to-back.
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) February 28, 2026
Embiid will be evaluated late next week following the team's back-to-back against the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz. The earliest he'll be able to return is next Saturday at the Atlanta Hawks.
Unfortunately for the 76ers, the 31-year-old center has been remarkably injury-prone over the last three seasons since winning the 2022-23 NBA MVP Award. He's only played 91 of the team's 223 regular-season games during that time due to various injuries, including just 33 games this season.
Embiid has already missed time this year with knee injuries and shin soreness. Philadelphia is used to playing without him but is 12-14 in the games he's missed this season.
The 76ers will be shorthanded against a superior Celtics team that's coming off a historic offensive performance versus the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
More NBA: How to Watch Celtics vs. 76ers Tonight: Channel, Live Stream & Start Time for NBA Game