The Philadelphia 76ers will return to action tonight in the NBA Cup following a 144-103 blowout loss against the Orlando Magic. The franchise is winless thus far in the mid-season tournament, possessing a terrible 0-3 record. But they’ll be hoping to change that tonight as they take on the young, rebuilding Brooklyn Nets team, and end the group stage on a high note.

However, even getting a dub against the Nets won’t come easily for the Sixers, given their recent poor run due to injuries. Both Joel Embiid and Paul George have been dealing with serious blows and were on the sidelines on Tuesday night. So, will the superstar duo return to the court tonight to guide their team to a comfortable win on the road?

Are Joel Embiid, Paul George playing tonight against the Nets?

The Sixers should be gearing up for another tough night against the Nets on Friday.  Both Joel Embiid and Paul George are on the team’s injury report. Embiid has been ruled out yet again because of knee injury management, making this his 9th straight missed game and 8th directly tied to this knee-related issue.

This is a big blow to Philadelphia, which is already hard hit with injuries. Moreover, because the Process was starting to show positive signs early into the season. The 31-year-old was averaging a healthy 19.7 points along with 5.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists before his knee injury seemingly re-aggravated.

While Joel Embiid won’t be taking the court tonight, the situation worsens, as Paul George is also questionable. The veteran guard is reportedly dealing with an ankle issue and could miss tonight’s final NBA Cup clash. Similar to Embiid, George was also showing signs of recovery after an abysmal 2024-25 campaign, but hasn’t been able to be consistent enough.

The 35-year-old guard has just suited up for three games this season. Even though he was downgraded to questionable status even before Tuesday’s game, he ultimately missed that clash. So, there’s a high chance that might be the case once again. Sadly for the 76ers, there are plenty more players on their injury report.

Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers injury reports ahead of their final NBA Cup clash

On top of these two veteran stars missing tonight’s clash, the Sixers will also be without their rookie sensation, VJ Edgecombe. The 20-year-old started experiencing some stiffness in his right calf late during Philadelphia’s overtime win against Milwaukee over a week ago. Since then, Edgecombe has missed back-to-back games and is expected to be on the sidelines tonight as well.

This just piles up on the 76ers’ misery, as the rookie guard has been one of their standout performers so far this season. The former Baylor standout, prior to this calf problem, was averaging an astounding 15.6 points along with 6 rebounds and 4.2 assists, and was one of the top candidates for the Rookie of the Year honor.

Nonetheless, apart from VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers will also miss Adem Bona, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Trendon Watford. While Bona and Oubre Jr. won’t play in this game due to an ankle and knee injury, respectively. Watford will miss the action because of an adductor injury for which he is supposed to be re-evaluated in about two weeks.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn will also enter their game without a few of their stars. The most notable absence would be that of Michael Porter Jr, who is ruled out for this game because of lower back tightness. The 27-year-old has been one of the few bright spots for the Nets this season, averaging around 24.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3 assists while shooting 48.3 percent from the field.

So, it goes without saying that he’ll be missed by his team tonight. Nonetheless, the Nets will also be without the likes of Ben Saraf, Cam Thomas, and Haywood Highsmith. While Saraf is questionable because of an ankle injury, both Thomas and Highsmith have been ruled out for hamstring and knee injuries, respectively. Now, will these absences prompt their head coach to make changes to his lineup?

Nets vs 76ers predicted lineups

Here’s how the Philadelphia 76ers could start without Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe:

And here’s how Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas’ absences will affect the Brooklyn Nets:

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When and where to watch the Nets vs the 76ers game tonight

So, the stage is set for an interesting clash. That’s because normally, the Sixers should have had the clear upper hand in their battle. However, given their injury troubles, if all three, even Paul George, miss this game, that would no longer be the case. Still, we hope that Tyrese Maxey’s presence should be enough for Philadelphia to snap its two-game losing streak against this tanking Nets team.