Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will undergo surgery this afternoon in Houston, the Sixers announced Thursday.
Embiid was initially ruled out with an illness ahead of the matchup. Tony Jones of The Athletic then reported that the Sixers star was receiving medical treatment in Houston after he reported to the team that he was “feeling ill” that morning.
Put plainly, this diagnosis could sideline Embiid for the remainder of the regular season and potentially impact his postseason availability. With only three games left in the regular season — the Sixers play their final game Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks — the team could play in a postseason game as early as Tuesday, depending on how the Eastern Conference standings shake out over this final stretch.
Looking at some of the more recent examples of appendicitis diagnoses in the NBA, including OG Anunoby and Nikola Mirotić, this diagnosis could potentially lead to a multi-week absence for Embiid.
