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Tim BontempsESPN
The Philadelphia 76ers said on Tuesday that All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons would both miss Thursday’s game against the Chicago Bulls – and that Simmons would miss Friday’s game against the Washington Wizards – because of the same contact tracking that prevented them both from participating in Sunday’s All-Star Game in Atlanta.
Assuming both continue to test negative for COVID-19 – as they have so far – Embiid will be eligible to return for Friday night’s game against Washington, while Simmons can return home against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
Both players were withdrawn from Sunday’s All-Star Game after coming into contact with a hairdresser in Philadelphia who later tested positive for COVID-19. However, the NBA had strict quarantines for everyone involved in the league’s mid-season showcase, and the two players were able to leave Atlanta and return to Philadelphia later in the day. They were the only two people involved in the game who had problems with a positive test or contact tracking over the weekend.
The Sixers closed the first half of the season with the best record in the Eastern Conference, half a game ahead of the Brooklyn Nets. They will practice on Wednesday night before returning to court in Chicago on Thursday.
Embiid is in the middle of the best season of his career, averaging over 30 points and 11 rebounds per game, making it a leading contender for the NBA’s MVP award.
Simmons averages 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game, and has linked his ever-impressive defensive skills to a recent outbreak of aggression – including scoring a career-high 42 points in Utah last month in a game that Embiid shouldn’t have paid for. to injury.