If we had a nickel for every time Joel Embiid has played this season, we would have exactly seven nickels! Yes, the former MVP has constantly been out of the lineup due to lingering injury concerns. However, he did make a comeback tonight, and a dominant one indeed. After missing the last game with a sinus fracture, Embiid put on a protective mask and led the Sixers to victory against the Hornets. But just when Philly fans were starting to get excited, the latest update on the Center’s future availability shattered their hopes once again.

As the Sixers prepare to face the Cavaliers tomorrow, Embiid has shockingly been ruled out of the back-to-back encounter. Of course, he made his intentions clear about such scenarios at the start of the season, “If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career.” And it looks like he is living by his word.

Well, the reason behind Joel’s absence for tomorrow is likely the sinus fracture he suffered during last week’s Pacers game, courtesy of the accidental hit to the face from Bennedict Mathurin. But his latest status could raise frustration among Philly fans because the Sixers needed their best player against the mighty Cavs. Donavan Mitchell and Co. have been the best team in the league so far with 24 wins. Moreover, they have not faced defeat in the last three games. Surely, Embiid’s availability would have boosted the Sixers’ chances of snapping that streak. But it is unlikely to happen now that he is out.

Additionally, Embiid’s sudden status change has led to confusion as to what went wrong because he was looking in incredible form tonight.

Joel Embiid stats vs Hornets

Although Joel did not suit up in the previous encounter, he did not show any signs of rust tonight. Taking charge early, he dropped 34 points and led his team to a dominant victory. And he had nine assists to go with it. However, these incredible numbers came against a lackluster Hornets squad, who are among the bottom three teams in the East and have only won seven games so far. The real test for Embiid would have been facing the Cavs tomorrow.

Well, Embiid has not had consistently good performances against legitimate playoff-contending teams. Against the Pacers, he only had 12 points. Earlier this season, he only had 11 against Miami and 13 against the Knicks. However, he has performed well against lower-ranked teams, like he did tonight. He also had 31 against the Bulls in a recent game. Obviously, the Sixers will not be able to turn things around until Embiid can perform consistently and more importantly, stay available for matchups against top-level teams. Until then, the Sixers fans can only sit back and pray for the best.