76ers Upgrade Joel Embiid’s Injury Report Status vs Hornets

The Philadelphia 76ers could have Joel Embiid back on Friday against the Hornets.

Jan 20, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) handles the ball against Charlotte Hornets center Nathan Mensah (31) during the second quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

On Friday, the Philadelphia 76ers will search for their fourth win over the Charlotte Hornets this season. Will they have Joel Embiid on board to do so?

Initially, it was believed Embiid would miss every game this week. According to a team official, Embiid has now been upgraded on the injury report to questionable.

On Monday, the Sixers paid a visit to the Hornets. At the time, the team announced that Embiid was expected to sit out for approximately a week. He was guaranteed to miss Monday’s game in Charlotte due to a sinus fracture, and the timeline made it seem as if Friday and Saturday’s outings were out of the question as well.

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid (right sinus fracture) will be re-evaluated on Friday and listed as questionable for the game that evening against the Charlotte Hornets.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) December 19, 2024

However, Embiid’s presence at Sixers practice on Wednesday and Thursday added some hope for him to potentially play.

"He looks great to me,” Sixers center Andre Drummond told reporters, according to Sixers Wire. "I mean, obviously, it's up to him if he feels comfortable going out there quite yet, but he looked fine to me. He's been moving around, and he wore his mask, so whatever the team doctors say for tomorrow.”

On Friday, Embiid will be evaluated once again. Whether he plays or not, the team has to feel encouraged by the fact he’s been able to get back out on the floor this quickly after going down with an injury nearly one week ago.

If Embiid gets the nod to play on Friday, it will be just his seventh appearance of the season. In the six games he played, the star center produced 20 points, eight rebounds, and four assists per game.

If Embiid isn’t cleared for Friday’s game, all eyes will be on Saturday’s outing against the Cleveland Cavaliers for a potential return for the big man.