NBA
76ers Hold LeBron James and Joel Embiid Out Against Hornets
Philadelphia completed its back-to-back without James and Embiid. Jaylen Brown, Jabari Walker and Tacko Fall were cleared to play.
The Philadelphia 76ers held LeBron James and Joel Embiid out of Saturday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. James was listed with low back/sciatica management and Embiid with right foot plantar fascia injury management as Philadelphia completed a back-to-back following Friday’s victory over the New York Knicks.
Jaylen Brown, Jabari Walker and Tacko Fall were cleared after initially being listed as questionable. Brown and Walker have left patellar tendinopathy, while Fall has a left quadriceps strain. Brown missed Friday’s game, his first absence since joining the Sixers. Fall had not previously been available this preseason or regular season.
Philadelphia entered Saturday at 5–1. Both James and Embiid had also missed one leg of the team’s first back-to-back. Embiid averaged 35.2 minutes in his first five appearances, above the 34.6 minutes he averaged during his 2022–23 MVP season, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
James had 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in Friday’s NBA Cup victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena. His late contributions included a midrange basket over OG Anunoby and a putback with 11.9 seconds left after a Tyrese Maxey miss. Philadelphia had earlier let a 14-point lead slip away.
Coach Nick Nurse called that James’ best all-around game of his Sixers tenure. Maxey credited his teammate’s leadership and ability to settle the offense. Nurse said James helped organize the team through his passing, communication and confidence, providing Philadelphia with experience to draw on in a close finish. His late baskets helped Philadelphia recover after New York gained momentum during the second half.
The Sixers were also without Dominick Barlow because of a low back stress reaction and Ariel Hukporti because of a right Achilles tendon tear. Charlotte entered at 3–3 with Kon Knueppel, Coby White and Grant Williams sidelined by hamstring, calf and hamstring strains, respectively.
