‘Tis the season … for infectious disease.
The good news is Joel Embiid, who’s missed the last two games because of an illness and right knee injury management, is listed as probable against the Brooklyn
Nets Tuesday. Head coach Nick Nurse said Embiid practiced fully on Monday and that he looked better and reported feeling better.
The last two games before these most recent absences were Embiid’s best of the season. He dropped a season-high 39 points in a win over the Indiana Pacers and grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds in a road loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Before Embiid, Tyrese Maxey was forced to miss two games with an illness.
The bad news is the virus appears to be spreading through the locker room. Both Dominick Barlow and Quentin Grimes are listed as questionable. Barlow has started the last 10 games for the Sixers, while Grimes has only missed one game this season.
Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford remain out, though both were able to do individual work at practice on Monday. Paul George, who sat for the second half of the team’s latest back-to-back against the Dallas Mavericks, is not listed on the injury report,
The Nets will be without impressive rookie Drake Powell, who’s dealing with a right ankle sprain. Cam Thomas remains out with a left hamstring strain. Former Sixer Haywood Highsmith has yet to play a game this season while recovering from offseason knee surgery.
The Sixers will host Brooklyn Tuesday night before heading on a five-game road trip starting Friday night in Chicago against the Bulls.
