Nov 18, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during player introductions against the Milwaukee Bucks at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Joel Embiid’s Official Playing Status for 76ers-Bucks

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Feb 9, 2025 1:31 PM ET

Entering Sunday afternoon’s game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks, two of the superstar bigs are dealing with setbacks.

On the Sixers’ side, Joel Embiid was on the injury report listed as questionable. The knee injury management plan was in danger of putting the center on ice for the Sunday action.

That won't be the case, though. Embiid has been cleared to play for the Sixers this weekend.

Joel Embiid will play today for the Sixers vs. the Milwaukee Bucks.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) February 9, 2025

Meanwhile, the Bucks are dealing with concerns regarding the availability of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

For the last three games, Milwaukee ruled out Antetokounmpo and braced for a fourth-straight absence from him against the Sixers on Sunday. When he was ruled out initially, the Bucks didn’t have a timeline in place for his recovery.

Hours before the game was slated to tip-off, it was revealed Giannis will miss the remaining games up until the NBA All-Star break. The star forward is dealing with a calf strain that will keep him out for an extended period of time.

As for Embiid, he recently returned from a long stretch of absences. All season long, Embiid has been battling multiple setbacks. At this point in the year, he has just 15 games under his belt.

At the start of the season, Embiid revealed he would be on an injury management plan. He didn’t debut until the Sixers’ 10th game of the year.

After appearing in four games, Embiid missed an additional seven games due to swelling and soreness in his knee. There was some consistency with Embiid’s availability throughout December, but the trend was broken by January 6.

For six games, Embiid was out due to a sprained foot. While working his way back, he was ruled out for more games due to knee swelling. In total, Embiid missed 15 games in a row from January 6 to February 2.

Earlier this week, Embiid returned to the lineup for a 36-minute showing against the Dallas Mavericks. He collected a 29-point triple-double in the two-point win.

When the Sixers hosted the Miami Heat the following night, Embiid got a rest night. On Friday, the big man was back in the lineup to face the Detroit Pistons. Embiid scored 23 points, six assists, and seven rebounds in nearly 30 minutes. The Sixers lost by 13 points against the Pistons.