Hawks surge in, facing Embiid's uncertain status. Jalen Johnson fuels Atlanta's offense while Sixers grapple with injuries and unanswered questions.
The Atlanta Hawks will look to extend their strong stretch of play on Sunday night in Philadelphia, facing a 76ers team that may or may not have its franchise star available.
Joel Embiid, who has missed nine straight games due to right knee injury management, was upgraded to questionable earlier in the day and is now considered a game-time decision. He has not played since Nov. 8 and has appeared in just six games this season, averaging 19.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
Whether Embiid suits up won’t be known until after his pregame warmup evaluation, continuing a stretch of uncertainty that has hovered over Philadelphia’s rotation. The Sixers have repeatedly labeled his knee discomfort as day-to-day, even as his absence has extended to 18 days.
While the Sixers wait, the Hawks arrive with one of the NBA’s ascendant talents continuing to power their offense.
Jalen Johnson enters the matchup playing the best basketball of his career. The 23-year-old forward is averaging 21.9 points, 7.3 assists, 9.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals — all career highs — while shooting 54.4% from the field and 39.1% from three. His impact was all over Atlanta’s 130-123 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, when he delivered 29 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds.
“The game is continuously slowing down,” Johnson said. “I’m seeing different coverages in different games, so it’s giving me a chance to continue to build and continue to learn from each game.”
The Hawks have gone 10–5 since Trae Young suffered a right MCL sprain on Oct. 29, leaning on expanded playmaking from Johnson and steady scoring from the backcourt. Nickeil Alexander-Walker led Atlanta with 30 points against Cleveland, while Dyson Daniels turned in one of the most complete outings of his Hawks tenure — 10 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, and three steals.
Head coach Quin Snyder said Daniels’ growing comfort stood out.
“I thought he did a great job of getting in the game and making the right decisions,” Snyder said. “Tonight his stats reflected that.”
Daniels is expected to draw significant defensive responsibility on Tyrese Maxey, who enters the night ranked third in the league at 31.7 points per game despite being held below that mark in three straight.
Philadelphia, even if Embiid plays, remains banged up. VJ Edgecombe will miss another game with a calf injury, and Andre Drummond — Embiid’s primary replacement during this stretch — is likely out after suffering a leg injury Friday against the Brooklyn Nets. Paul George is still rebuilding his rhythm after an ankle injury but contributed 14 points Friday, saying his body has responded well to increased workload.
“How I got prepared for today, it felt amazing,” George said. “How I got prepared for practices the past couple days, it’s been amazing. … I think now it’s building through the games and reps. I think my body will respond well to it.”
Second-year guard Jared McCain, returning from a knee injury and a recent hand issue, posted a season-high 20 points against Brooklyn and could again carry a larger role depending on Embiid’s status.
This is the first of four meetings between the teams this year. The Hawks swept the 76ers last season, scoring 124, 124 and 132 points in three decisive victories.
Whether Embiid plays or not, Atlanta enters Sunday with momentum — a surging Johnson, a deepening rotation, and a chance to claim a fourth win in five games.