76ers star Embiid is sitting out Wednesday’s game against the Kings

76ers star Embiid is sitting out Wednesday’s game against the Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The Kings won’t have to worry about Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid in their first game of 2025.

The Sixers listed Embiid as out for their Wednesday night matchup with the Kings at Golden 1 Center with one simple term for “rest”, then changed it to left foot sprain later in the day. The game is the first leg of a Philadelphia back-to-back that ends Thursday against the Golden State Warriors.

Embiid has since worn a protective mask returns from a sinus fracture on December 20. He scored a season-high 37 points on Monday Sixers’ win over the Trail Blazers and has tallied 96 over his last three games on just 57 field goal attempts.

The 13-17 Sixers will go for a fifth straight win in Sacramento. Kings 14-19 will see to it winning their second game under interim head coach Doug Christie.

Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus surgery) and KJ Martin (left foot stress reaction) remain out for the Sixers. Veterans Andre Drummond (left toe sprain), Eric Gordon (oral surgery) and Kyle Lowry (right hip soreness) were all listed as questionable.

Especially if Drummond is out, rookie Adem Bona would be a natural candidate to step into the Sixers rotation, which only included eight players against the Blazers.

Guerschon Yabusele has been excellent of late as the Sixers’ backup center, averaging 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals during the team’s four-game winning streak. He has shot 20 of 33 (60.6 percent) from the floor and 9 of 17 (52.9 percent) from three-point range.

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