Things are not looking too good for the City of Brotherly Love. It has been only two days since Paul George hyperextended his knee during the Grizzlies game, the same one that delayed his Sixers debut. And he has already been ruled out for the next two games. While the Sixers were busy dealing with this setback, they suffered another massive blow ahead of tonight’s Nets encounter as Joel Embiid made a last-minute entry to the injury report.

The former MVP has been ruled out of the NBA Cup matchup due to left knee injury management. Well, he was initially listed as questionable and did not participate in the team’s morning shootaround. So, Joel’s status being downgraded surely raises concerns about his health.

He was sidelined with the same issue to start the season and played his first game on November 12. And just four games in, he is back on the bench. Sure enough, fans were looking forward to seeing him go head-to-head against his former teammate Ben Simmons. But the injury has ruined those chances. Moreover, this adds to the Sixers’ problems while they are already struggling to win games. They are on a five-game losing streak heading into tonight’s encounter and rank dead last in the standings among all thirty teams. And it will be a massive challenge to snap the losing streak without Embiid.

Obviously, this will also halt Embiid’s momentum, who has not been able to play at an MVP level so far. In his four appearances, he has averaged less than twenty points. Yes, we saw glimpses of his greatness in the last game as he went off for a 35-point double-double. But tonight’s setback could hamper his rhythm once again.

Joel Embiid’s teammate remains optimistic as injury woes increase pressure on Tyrese Maxey

With Joel and PG out, the onus to carry the team will now fall on Tyrese Maxey. It has been only two days since he returned from a six-game hiatus due to a hamstring injury. And he looked rusty on the court against the Grizzlies as he was able to score only 8 points. However, the Sixers would be hoping for him to return to All-Star form quickly and rescue them amid the injury woes. Although it is a tough challenge, Maxey has the talent to overcome it since he is averaging 25.1 points this season.

Moreover, the Sixers continue to stay optimistic despite the abysmal start. Big man Guerschon Yabusele said in a recent interview, “The main focus is not to give up, just to stay together. We will figure out the situation. We have to go over there, make the effort, stay together, and just fight. It will definitely turn.” A win tonight could really boost the team’s confidence and also keep them in the running for the NBA Cup. Do you think they can pull it off without Embiid and PG?