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The Philadelphia 76ers will be hoping to win their back-to-back set with the Detroit Pistons after securing a 123-111 win on the road in the first game in Joel Embiid's absence. The Cameroonian center has missed the team's last three games. He injured his foot during the 76ers' 120-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on January 2nd.
The Sixers have gone 2-1 in his absence since then. They beat the Indiana Pacers and lost to the Chicago Bulls before prevailing against Detroit on January 8th. Embiid's inclusion in Tuesday's contest remains in doubt. He is listed as questionable as per the team's official injury report due to soreness in his left foot.
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The 76ers should be able to complete the sweep over the Pistons in this two-game mini-series. James Harden and Tyrese Maxey have been in decent form, carrying the load in Embiid's absence.
The Sixers have another easy game against the OKC Thunder after tonight's clash against the Detroit Pistons, and it won't be surprising to see them hold Embiid out of that clash, either.
That's because the Philadelphia 76ers will be going on a five-game road trip to the West Coast starting January 14th, where they will take on the Utah Jazz, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers.
Their first two games after that trip are against the Western Conference leaders, the Denver Nuggets, and the No. 2 ranked team in the East, the Brooklyn Nets. It's a tough schedule to get through, and the Sixers will need Joel Embiid at 100% to secure a winning record.
Continued absence hampers Joel Embiid's MVP case again
Joel Embiid has been the runner-up for the NBA MVP award over the past two seasons. He is again in the mix but is not the frontrunner to claim the award. Embiid's lack of appearances compared to the other candidates has hampered his chances of securing the coveted prize.
His stats have only gotten better, though. Embiid is averaging a career-high 33.3 points on 53.2% field goal shooting. He also has the best advanced defensive numbers. He could easily be in the DPOY conversation if he played regularly.
Embiid has missed 11 games already this season, and that number could increase considering the 76ers' schedule after the Pistons and Thunder games after January 13th.
