76ers' Injury Announcement on Joel Embiid, Paul George vs Rockets

Will Joel Embiid and Paul George face the Rockets?

Nov 20, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts after a turnover during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Since the start of the 2024-2025 NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers have struggled to stay healthy. More than one month into the new hoops year, the Sixers are playing catch-up while continuing to battle shorthanded.

Just as the All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey returned to the floor, the Sixers lost the star forward Paul George and the center Joel Embiid. Both are dealing with knee-related setbacks.

On Tuesday, the Sixers returned to practice in Camden, New Jersey, in between the Los Angeles Clippers loss on Sunday and the Houston Rockets matchup on Wednesday.

Following the session, the Sixers offered an update on the state of George and Embiid.

Paul George getting some work in after practice with “squabble up” playing pic.twitter.com/SJee9vldbs

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) November 26, 2024

Embiid was not a participant as he continues to manage his knee. George was considered a partial participant.

Before heading into training camp, Joel Embiid and the Sixers made it known that they had an injury management plan in place. While specific details of the plan were not revealed, it quickly became clear that a lot of rest was involved.

The plan has included much more than simply sitting on the second night of a back-to-back set. Embiid didn’t scrimmage at all during the Sixers’ week-long training camp in The Bahamas. He missed the entire preseason and even sat out for multiple weeks during the regular season.

After missing nine games, Embiid made his debut against the New York Knicks on November 12. He missed his tenth game as part of the plan before returning for three games in a row. Following the Sixers’ loss against the Memphis Grizzlies on the road, Embiid had swelling in his knee. As a result, the Sixers ruled him out for the games against Brooklyn and Los Angeles.

While Paul George hasn’t had a resting plan in place, the veteran forward suffered a bone bruise in his knee during the preseason. After appearing in just two preseason games, the free-agent acquisition was held out for the remainder of the schedule. He also missed a few regular-season matchups as well.

Joel Embiid and Paul George on the court as Sixers practice wraps up pic.twitter.com/zwsGPMwyU1

— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) November 26, 2024

George missed the first five games of the season. Prior to his most recent setback, George appeared in seven of eight games since his Sixers debut. After suffering another bone bruise against Memphis, George missed the next two games.

Although George and Embiid aren't expected to be dealing with any long-term setbacks, they have been ruled out against the Rockets on Wednesday, according to a team official.