Heading into their Tuesday night matchup against the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers had doctors in the building to evaluate two of their stars, Paul George and Joel Embiid. Before the game tipped off, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse made it clear that the team wouldn’t have an official update on both players until after the matchup.
Shortly after the Sixers squeezed by the Celtics with a 102-100 loss, the team issued an official update on George.
“Paul George is in the final stage of his return to play plan which involves the continued strengthening of his left quadricep. This will be managed through a strength and conditioning program and on-court basketball activities,” a team official said. “He will be re-evaluated later this week.”
### Joel Embiid’s Status
As for Joel Embiid, Nick Nurse confirmed that the star center had imaging done on Tuesday morning. Fortunately, there was no structural damage revealed for Embiid. According to Nurse, Embiid will be considered “day-to-day” moving forward.
Embiid’s setback is sudden. Although he’s been cautious since the start of the 2025-2026 season, he didn’t experience any setbacks through his first six appearances. His absences prior to this were a result of rest, which was part of his injury management plan.
Nurse stated that Embiid’s discomfort wasn’t the result of a single play. The star center reported soreness on Tuesday morning and underwent imaging to confirm that he wasn’t dealing with any serious setbacks. Embiid was ruled out for Tuesday’s action against the Celtics.
Leading up to the matchup, Embiid has posted averages of 19.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
### Paul George’s Return Journey
As for George, his concerns have been ongoing since the offseason. Leading up to training camp, George revealed that he would not be ready to play right away. He missed the entire preseason and hasn’t made his debut with the Sixers just yet.
Since his debut season with the Sixers, George has dealt with numerous setbacks. Last year, he appeared in 41 games, shooting 35 percent from three-point range and averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.
### Looking Ahead
The timeline for Embiid and George’s return isn’t currently clear. The Sixers will be back on the court on Friday for NBA Cup action against the Detroit Pistons. Fans will be watching closely for updates on the status of both key players as the season continues.
https://www.newsweek.com/sports/nba/sixers-reveal-important-paul-george-joel-embiid-injury-updates-11031678