The Philadelphia 76ers are one step closer to a full-strength lineup as Joel Embiid and Paul George appear likely to play in Friday's home matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two superstars, who have been nursing injuries, were listed as probable on Thursday's injury report.
Embiid has enjoyed his best stretch of basketball in over two years, playing in eight of the Sixers' last nine games. Despite a brief absence due to front-end fatigue during the back-to-back series against the Toronto Raptors, Embiid seems poised for a return to form. George also sat out the front end of that same back-to-back with left knee soreness but has been cleared to play in each of the Sixers' subsequent games.
However, teammate Dominick Barlow's status is uncertain due to a back contusion he suffered during Wednesday's game against Cleveland. The 22-year-old was seen participating in shooting drills on Thursday, which was a positive sign after he left with significant pain. Coach Nick Nurse mentioned that Barlow seemed "going to be okay" after practice, prompting the decision to cancel plans for imaging.
Barlow has so far avoided serious injury, and his involvement in shooting drills suggests a better chance of him suiting up on Friday. If all parties are healthy, this could be an exciting matchup between two Eastern Conference powerhouses. The 76ers will look to capitalize on their home-court advantage as they host the Cavaliers, who have been struggling to find consistency in recent games.
The Sixers' injury report may not have changed much, but with Embiid and George likely to play, fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Now it's just a matter of getting Barlow cleared for action before tip-off on Friday night.
Embiid has enjoyed his best stretch of basketball in over two years, playing in eight of the Sixers' last nine games. Despite a brief absence due to front-end fatigue during the back-to-back series against the Toronto Raptors, Embiid seems poised for a return to form. George also sat out the front end of that same back-to-back with left knee soreness but has been cleared to play in each of the Sixers' subsequent games.
However, teammate Dominick Barlow's status is uncertain due to a back contusion he suffered during Wednesday's game against Cleveland. The 22-year-old was seen participating in shooting drills on Thursday, which was a positive sign after he left with significant pain. Coach Nick Nurse mentioned that Barlow seemed "going to be okay" after practice, prompting the decision to cancel plans for imaging.
Barlow has so far avoided serious injury, and his involvement in shooting drills suggests a better chance of him suiting up on Friday. If all parties are healthy, this could be an exciting matchup between two Eastern Conference powerhouses. The 76ers will look to capitalize on their home-court advantage as they host the Cavaliers, who have been struggling to find consistency in recent games.
The Sixers' injury report may not have changed much, but with Embiid and George likely to play, fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Now it's just a matter of getting Barlow cleared for action before tip-off on Friday night.
I'm so hyped for this game! It's been super boring watching our team play without Embiid and George... they're like the spark that ignites the whole team! 
I've seen some games where it felt like we were just going through the motions, you know? But with these two back on the court, I think we can take down anyone. 
As long as Barlow's not too banged up, I'm all for it... our bench has been kinda meh lately, so any contribution from him would be awesome! 
finally some good news about the 76ers lineup, if they can get Barlow healthy that'll be a major win. Embiid's been on fire lately and George is back to his clutch self, this could be a real shootout 
. Cavs have been struggling all season so I'm expecting a pretty big W for Philly 
. just hope they don't blow it with their star players in the lineup 
The 76ers are finally starting to look like themselves with Embiid and George back in the lineup... I mean, those guys have been carrying the team for months now, so it's about time they get some rest. Dominick Barlow's injury was a bummer, but if he's good to go, this could be a huge win for them against the Cavs 
but seriously though, i hope Dominick Barlow is okay his injury could've been serious 
gotta be rooting for him too 
. Can't they just be straightforward already? "Probable", "likely to play"... what even does that mean?! It's like they're trying to keep us in suspense or something 
. And meanwhile, we get all this analysis and speculation about who's going to play and when... it's exhausting 
. And don't even get me started on the back-and-forth with Coach Nurse about Dominick Barlow's status 
. Can't they just have a clear plan for once?! 
. I swear, if I have to scroll through one more thread about Embiid and George playing... 
, but fingers crossed he can shake off that back contusion and make it for Friday's game 
. It's great to see Embiid playing his best basketball in a while, he's such an amazing player 
. This is gonna be such a fun matchup against the Cavs! 
️. And I'm loving that Barlow was seen participating in shooting drills on Thursday - it's a good sign he won't miss too much time 
. Can't wait to see the 76ers' lineup go up against the Cavs on Friday night! 