An Eastern Conference showdown on Saturday evening takes center stage as the lone game on the evening slate. At 7 p.m. ET, the Philadelphia 76ers travel to Detroit for a battle against the Pistons… but they’ll be without an All-Star and former MVP for this contest.
76ers center Joel Embiid has been listed as out for tonight’s game due to injury management, per the official NBA injury report. It is the second leg of a back-to-back, so it’s not shocking to see the big man get the night off.
Embiid has appeared in just 37 of 77 possible games this season for Philadelphia. His health has always been an issue, but there’s no denying that the former MVP has experienced something of a resurgence this year. When active, he averages 26.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. After a down year in 2024-25, his shooting percentage has jumped back up to 49.1% from the field and he once again has a positive mark in the +/- column.
Recently, Adem Bona has started for Philadelphia when Embiid doesn’t play.
The 76ers are listed as a 2.5-point home underdog on DraftKings Sportsbook tonight against the Pistons.
Philadelphia is 43-34 overall and sits sixth in the Eastern Conference. However, the franchise has an identical record to the Toronto Raptors, and the Charlotte Hornets are 1.5 games back as well.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.