Embiid to sit out 1st leg of Sixers’ back-to-back against Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Joel Embiid will be on the sidelines for the Sixers’ first game of 2025.
The team listed Embiid as out for its Wednesday night matchup with the Kings with a simple designation of “Rest.” The game is the first leg of a back-to-back that finishes Thursday against the Warriors.
Embiid has worn a protective mask since returning from a sinus fracture on Dec. 20. He scored a season-high 37 points Monday in the Sixers’ win over the Trail Blazers and has totaled 96 over his last three games on just 57 field goal attempts.
The 13-17 Sixers will go for a fifth consecutive win in Sacramento. The 14-19 Kings will look to win their second game under interim head coach Doug Christie.
Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus surgery) and KJ Martin (left foot stress reaction) will remain out for the Sixers. Veterans Andre Drummond (left toe sprain), Eric Gordon (oral surgery) and Kyle Lowry (right hip soreness) were all listed as questionable.
Especially if Drummond is out, rookie Adem Bona would be a natural candidate to step into the Sixers’ rotation, which only included eight players against the Blazers.
Guerschon Yabusele has been excellent lately as the Sixers’ backup center, averaging 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals during the team’s four-game winning streak. He’s shot 20 of 33 (60.6 percent) from the floor and 9 of 17 (52.9 percent) from three-point range.
