Joel Embiid's Playing Status for 76ers-Bulls on Sunday

Will Joel Embiid face the Chicago Bulls on Sunday?

Jan 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and Chicago Bulls forward Terry Taylor (32) reach for a loose ball during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

After getting a day off, the Philadelphia 76ers are back on the court on Sunday afternoon for a matchup against the Chicago Bulls.

Heading into Sunday’s game, the Sixers were offered some hope of potentially getting back their MVP-winning center, Joel Embiid.

On Saturday night, the Sixers upgraded Embiid to questionable for the first time in weeks. The veteran big man continues to closely manage his knee injury after getting surgery last season.

After going through pregame warmups, Joel Embiid has been cleared for action on Sunday. He will return to the 76ers’ lineup for the first time in over two weeks.

today’s starting five:

🔔 @Yg_Trece
🔔 @yabusele28
🔔 @JoelEmbiid
🔔 @KELLYOUBREJR
🔔 @TyreseMaxey @alscouniforms pic.twitter.com/ltJDqZIu3h

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 8, 2024

The 2024-2025 NBA season has been a big mystery for Embiid. Although the center claimed to be healthy, his injury management plan included missing the entire preseason and the first nine games of the regular season.

On November 12, Embiid made his season debut against the New York Knicks. He checked in for 26 minutes. On the following night, the Sixers hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since it was a back-to-back, Embiid took the night off.

For the next three games, the Sixers were able to trot out Embiid. He played in over 30 minutes for each matchup. During that stretch, Embiid produced 22 points per game. He was knocking down 43 percent of his shots on 16 attempts per game.

The veteran center nearly produced a double-double during that stretch, averaging nine rebounds per game.

Following a loss against the Memphis Grizzlies, Embiid started experiencing swelling in his knee. He was downgraded against the Brooklyn Nets and ruled out for multiple games at once.

After the Sixers came up short against the Los Angeles Clippers on November 24, the veteran center was considered day-to-day. He was ruled out for the next five games.

At this point, Embiid has just four appearances in 21 games.

While Embiid is expected to be on a minutes restriction, the veteran center should be a major boost for the Sixers on Sunday.