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According to the Philadelphia 76ers injury report, reigning MVP Joel Embiid is listed out against the Boston Celtics on Friday due to an undisclosed illness.
The Sixers recently played their 18th game of the season against the New Orleans Pelicans, where Embiid was initially not listed as injured. However, when the final starting lineup was filed, he was reported out of the lineup.
After it was reported that Joel Embiid would miss the game against the Celtics, the fans on “X” (formerly Twitter) trolled Embiid mercilessly. Fans started to call out Embiid for apparently avoiding Al Harford, who has been a major problem for Embiid in the last few matchups.
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One of the fans wrote:
“Horford has him shaking.”
Another fan took the same tone and wrote:
“Tested positive for Horfvid-42 this morning I’m hearing.”
Here are some of the best reactions from fans:
Joel Embiid climbs up the NBA MVP ladder
The MVP power ranking has already seen big ups and downs this season. The power ranking keeps changing; however, the top three rankings have been circulating between Nikola Jokic, Embiid, and Luka Doncic. After being ranked 3rd in the MVP ranking, the 76ers’ Embiid has climbed up to 2nd spot.
He has been putting up assist numbers that are rare in his playing style. Until the 2023–24 season, Embiid was a pure scorer who also defended the paint. However, he has completely changed his game under coach Nick Nurse.
Embiid is distributing the ball more than ever before and trusting his teammates to score. The Sixers forward is averaging 6.6 assists this season as compared to 4.2 in the 2022–23 season. He is also averaging 32 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Before his injury, he had a triple-double against the LA Lakers and was just one assist short of a triple-double against the OKC Thunder in the previous game.
Yes, Tyrese Maxey has indeed come to the rescue of the Sixers at the right time. However, without Embiid on the roster, the 76ers are just another team in the Eastern Conference. The team has constantly struggled to outscore the opponents.
Moreover, Embiid’s absence leaves the paint more or less unprotected for the Sixers. His presence on the roster is also a big factor in their offensive efficiency. It was fully apparent when the Sixers faced the Pelicans and lost the game 124-114.
