5:33 pm: Embiid will be active and Quentin Grimes will start in place of Maxey, according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).
5:11 pm: Sixers star Tyrese Maxey will miss his first game of the 2025/26 season on Friday against Indiana, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic.
Maxey, who was initially listed as probable before being downgraded to questionable and then out, is dealing with an unspecified illness.
A 25-year-old guard, Maxey is having an outstanding sixth season for Philadelphia, averaging career highs of 31.5 points, 7.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds while leading the league with 39.9 minutes per game. He’s also contributing 1.7 SPG and 0.9 BPG, with a strong shooting slash line of .467/.391/.881 in 23 appearances.
Former league MVP Joel Embiid is probable for tonight’s matchup with the Pacers due to left knee injury recovery, per the NBA’s official injury report.
Embiid, a seven-time All-Star, missed nine consecutive games last month due to right knee soreness. He has played in three of five contests since returning, and while his athleticism and production have declined, the 31-year-old center is still able to get to the spots he wants to on offense, according to Jones.
For his part, Embiid says he’s been feeling good lately and is optimistic he’ll be able to play more minutes going forward, though the team is still carefully managing his workload — he hasn’t been cleared to play two games in three nights, let alone back-to-backs, Jones notes.
“I think it’s all about getting into that rhythm and playing every other day,” Embiid said. “I think we’re getting there. The plan of playing and then two days off is working pretty well. Hopefully, that keeps going and we can start doing it every other day. But, I’m feeling pretty good.”