Joel Embiid Out vs Rockets as Sixers Face Must-Win Tonight

The Sixers will be without big man Joel Embiid when Philadelphia takes on the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.

The center has been ruled out with appendicitis and will undergo surgery this afternoon in Houston ahead of Philadelphia's first night of a back-to-back.  They will be in Indiana tomorrow night to take on the Pacers.

Embiid appeared in the Sixers' last game on Monday after missing the previous game against Detroit due to oblique management. He scored 34 points in 39 minutes to go along with 12 rebounds, one assist, and four blocks in Monday’s loss to the Spurs.

Andre Drummond or Adem Bona will move into the starting lineup tonight against Houston.

We will discuss the impact of Embiid missing tonight's game at 3:30 on The Sports Bash with Paul Hudrick from Liberty Ballers.

You can watch the segment here.

Eastern Conference Playoff Seeding Scenarios

Tonight is a key game for the Sixers if they plan on getting out of the NBA Play-In Tournament and into the playoffs. After last night's NBA action, the Sixers slid down to the No. 8 seed in the East, thanks to Orlando winning. Philadelphia would move into the No. 6 spot if they are able to win tonight in Houston, coupled with a Raptors loss vs Miami.

How to Listen: Sixers vs. Rockets

The Sixers take on the Rockets at 8 p.m. You can catch all the action on the Rock 104.1 starting at 8 p.m and on 97.3 ESPN after the Flyers-Red Wings game is over.