Joel Embiid was cleared on the injury report at 6:40 PM ET Thursday, 20 minutes before the 76ers host the Raptors. He had been listed Day-To-Day with a right foot and leg issue.
What happened
Joel Embiid came off the injury report at 6:40 PM ET on Thursday, Nov. 12. His status moved from Day-To-Day to Cleared. The report gave no detail and no comment with the change. The day before, Wednesday, Nov. 11, he was listed Day-To-Day with a right foot and leg issue. It is the third time this month he has gone from Day-To-Day to Cleared. He was cleared Nov. 2 and again Nov. 8, and each time was listed Day-To-Day again within days. He was Out with the same listing on Oct. 31. No expected return is announced.
What it means for the 76ers
Philadelphia hosts the Raptors at 7:00 PM ET Thursday. The 76ers are 9-3, in second place, and lost their last game. Embiid, a 32-year-old center-forward, is averaging 17.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 31.8 minutes over 10 games. The team is 8-2 with him and 1-1 without him. In the games he missed, Tyrese Maxey played 36.3 minutes and scored 26.7 points. Jaylen Brown played 34.9 minutes and VJ Edgecombe 33.4. The roster is thin right now. LeBron James, Ariel Hukporti, Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona are all listed Out.
What to watch
Watch how many minutes Embiid plays against the Raptors, given that he has moved on and off the report three times in two weeks. The next injury report will show whether he stays clear. No return date is relevant now, because he is cleared. The bigger question is the rest of the roster. James, Hukporti, Barlow and Bona are all Out, and no return dates are announced for them. Any new Day-To-Day listing for Embiid would be the first sign of trouble.
Is Joel Embiid playing vs the Raptors?
He was cleared at 6:40 PM ET Thursday, before the 7:00 PM ET game, and no longer appears on the injury report. No minutes limit was announced.
When will Joel Embiid be back?
He is cleared, so he is not listed as out. He had been Day-To-Day with a right foot and leg issue. No expected return date is announced.