April 09, 2026
Colleen Claggett/For PhillyVoice
Joel Embiid will miss the most important game the Sixers have left.
Joel Embiid (illness) has been ruled out for the Sixers' road contest against the Houston Rockets on Thursday night, according to the team's latest injury report for the game, updated on Thursday afternoon.
Embiid, who said he was playing with an illness the team had not listed on any of its injury reports prior to a March 30 loss to the Miami Heat, was suddenly ruled out for the team's following game against the Washington Wizards. He had not been listed on the team's initial injury report ahead of that game, either. He sent two tweets implying he wanted to play that night, the second of which suggested the team was not letting him play basketball.
Embiid was initially listed as doubtful for the following game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was later upgraded to probable, then played. After the game, he called out President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey, claiming he found out online that he had been ruled out for the game.
After sitting the following night on the back end of the Sixers' penultimate back-to-back, Embiid returned to the floor on Monday night in San Antonio – he did not have any injury designation at any point ahead of that game – and despite an early scare, logged 39 minutes in a loss to the Spurs.
Embiid was not listed on the Sixers' initial injury report for Thursday's game. Now, for the third time in nine days in April, his initial status has suddenly changed dramatically:
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) April 9, 2026
Three games remain on the Sixers' schedule, and they very well may need to go 3-0 to finish out the season in order to avoid the NBA Play-In Tournament. Thursday's game in Houston – the front end of a back-to-back – is far and away the most challenging game left on the Sixers' slate. They finish out the season against two tanking teams, facing the Pacers in Indiana on Friday before playing their regular-season finale at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. With or without Embiid, the Sixers will be favored in those two games. They just become even stronger underdogs in Houston without the former NBA MVP.
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