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Joel Embiid’s Official Playing Status for 76ers-Warriors

Will Joel Embiid face the Golden State Warriors on Thursday?

Justin Grasso

Dec 16, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives against Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney (5) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Dec 16, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives against Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney (5) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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On Thursday night, the Philadelphia 76ers are looking to close out their West Coast road trip with a matchup against the Golden State Warriors. The veteran center Joel Embiid remained on the injury report just one day after missing Wednesday’s action against the Sacramento Kings.

According to the official NBA injury report, Embiid is still recovering from a foot sprain. Therefore, he was questionable heading into the Warriors matchup.

Fortunately, the Sixers are going to get Embiid back in the mix. The seven-time All-Star center has been upgraded to available and is set to start for Philadelphia on the road on Thursday.

All year long, Embiid has been battling setbacks. As a result of his injury management plan and a suspension, Embiid was not present for the Sixers’ first nine games of the season. When he returned to the court to make his season debut on November 12, Embiid appeared in just four of the next 12 games.

In December, Embiid made his debut for the month against the Chicago Bulls for his fifth game of the year. Since then, he hasn’t missed consecutive games, which is a step in the right direction.

Still, Embiid is sticking to the plan of not competing in back-to-back games. After he faced the Charlotte Hornets on December 20, Embiid was inactive the following night. Prior to Thursday’s action in Golden State, Embiid was off the court in Sacramento.

This season, Embiid has averaged 24 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in 11 games. As he found some consistency in the health department despite having to deal with numerous setbacks, Embiid has helped the Sixers a lot since settling in.

In seven games in December, Embiid posted averages of 26 points, seven rebounds, four assists, one block, and one steal. The Sixers won six of their last seven games with Embiid in the mix.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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