On Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers will travel to take on the Golden State Warriors. Both teams are contending for the NBA Finals.
Latest news on Joel Embiid and James Harden’ injury status
On Friday night in San Francisco, the Philadelphia 76ers will take on a surging Golden State Warriors team, and they’ll need Joel Embiid and James Harden healthy enough to play.
James Harden missed Wednesday’s 116-91 thrashing of the host Chicago Bulls because of soreness in his left Achilles, and the 76ers rested Joel Embiid in the second half because of tightness in his right calf.
With a 9–0 record, the Sixers are ready to take on the West Coast. Recent success propelled the Sixers into a brief tie for second place in the Eastern Conference with the Boston Celtics.
Embiid’s benching came after the 76ers had built a 28-point halftime lead, so coach Doc Rivers spent more time discussing Harden’s future than he did discussing his star center’s availability for Friday’s second of four games on the road trip.
Despite missing the first half of the game, 76ers head coach Doc Rivers is confident in his team’s ability to compete against the Warriors.
After sitting out the second half of the 76ers’ lopsided win over the Bulls on Wednesday with mild right calf tightness, Joel Embiid is listed as questionable to play on Friday.
The Sixers could sit Embiid on Friday because it’s the first of a back-to-back set. However, with games coming up against the Warriors, Suns, Nuggets, and Mavericks, the 76ers may have reason to play the league’s current MVP runner-up. They are only three games out of first place in the Eastern Conference.
According to USA Today’s Austin Krell, James Harden’s availability for Friday’s game against the Warriors is in question because of an Achilles injury.
Due to soreness in his Achilles tendon, Harden will sit out Wednesday’s game against the Bulls. De’Anthony Melton will start for the 76ers once again if the 33-year-old is unable to play.
Philadelphia will finish its crucial four-game trip against the Suns and Nuggets before returning home for a lengthy stretch that begins on April 4 when they host the Celtics.
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The Golden State Warriors scored a huge victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, 127-125. The win extends the Warriors’ lead over Dallas to 1.5 games.
Steph Curry led Golden State with 20 points and an assist on the game-winning basket. Jonathan Kuminga, a bench player and forward, contributed 22 points.
The Warriors are riding Stephen Curry’s 29.6 point, 6.2 board, and 6.3 assist average. Meanwhile, Klay Thompson has made a 3-pointer at a rate of 3.6 per game over the course of the last ten contests.
The Warriors have not announced a timetable for Wiggins’ return, but on Thursday they released a statement saying that Gary Payton II, who has not played since being acquired from Portland last month due to core-muscles issues, has been cleared to practice on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s game against the Timberwolves.
