Joel Embiid was rushed into surgery Thursday after being diagnosed with appendicitis just hours ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers’ game against the Houston Rockets.
The team announced Embiid’s surgery after the oft-injured center was added to the team’s injury report with an ‘illness.’
It’s not clear when Embiid will be cleared to return, but the Cameroonian-born center is missing a crucial stretch of the season with the Sixers hoping to avoid the play-in tournament.
Entering Thursday, Philadelphia sat in eighth place at 43-36 – a full game behind the sixth-place Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference. Per NBA rules, teams sitting between seventh and 10th in the conference standings will go through a brief play-in tournament in order to qualify for the playoffs.
The 32-year-old former NBA MVP is averaging 26.9 points and 7.7 across 38 games this season after battling knee problems in 2024-25.
Meanwhile, forward Paul George has returned from his 25-game suspension for taking a substance banned by the NBA’s anti-drug program. George has called it a ‘poorly timed’ incident, which he blamed on taking ‘improper medication’ to combat a mental health issue.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives against San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Monday
George has looked good, scoring 28, 26 and 38 points against the Bulls, Hornets and Wizards, respectively, but will likely need to take on a larger role with Embiid out.
Typically, appendicitis surgery results in anywhere from a one- to five-week absence for athletes, depending on the specifics of the procedure.
But regardless of what specific operation Embiid went through, he’s likely going to miss Philadelphia’s final three regular season games.
And given the likelihood that the Sixers end up in the play-in tournament, there is a real chance Embiid has played his final game this season.
