Is Joel Embiid playing tonight, February 15th? Cavs vs 76ers injury report

The Cleveland Cavaliers are on fire right now, winning seven-straight games as the All-Star Break approaches. Tonight they take on the Philadelphia 76ers, with third place in the Eastern Conference on the line. Will the Cavs have to face the Sixers’ best player?

Joel Embiid injury update (Updated February 15th)

Note: This will be updated closer to tip-off at 7:30 pm ET with the official word on Joel Embiid’s injury status.

Joel Embiid is currently listed as questionable with a foot injury. It’s a recurring injury he has had to deal with for years, and every so often it keeps him out of a few games. He missed four games back around Thanksgiving with the injury this season, and again a trio of contests in early January.

Embiid has essentially spent the season since questionable, although he has been able to suit up. He was off the injury report entirely for Philadelphia’s home win over the Houston Rockets on Monday night, when he played just under 31 minutes. Embiid seems to have felt some amount of pain or discomfort in the hours since.

The Cavaliers would obviously have a better chance to win the game tonight if Embiid doesn’t play, but the 76ers have been surprisingly resilient this year without their MVP candidate. In the 12 games he has missed this season, the Sixers are 8-4, including a few blowout wins. With James Harden, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey all healthy, this team still has plenty of firepower.

What about the Cavaliers’ injury report?

As of this morning, for the first time this season, there is not a single player on Cleveland’s injury report. Donovan Mitchell had his best game since his groin injury in the win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, Darius Garland’s thumb appears to be at 100 percent, and the entire bench will be available tonight.

That has changed slightly, with Ricky Rubio absent from shootaround and now listed as questionable for tonight’s game with an illness:

The Philadelphia 76ers are a formidable team, and Cavaliers’ head coach J.B. Bickerstaff will have his full arsenal of players with which to build a strategy to slow down Philly. If Embiid is able to play, this will have vibes of a playoff game tonight. If he doesn’t, the Cavs will have the health advantage and a leg up on winning the game.

The Cavaliers can’t overlook this game, whether or not Embiid is playing; it’s a crucial win, not only for the current standings but the eventual tie-breaker between these two teams. The Cavs will be walking in with everyone available; we’ll see about Philly.