LeBron James will not play against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, Oct. 31, leaving the Philadelphia 76ers without both him and Joel Embiid to finish their back-to-back.
The NBA’s 2:30 p.m. ET injury report lists James as out because of low back/sciatica management. Embiid is out with right foot plantar fascia injury management. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET in Charlotte.
Philadelphia has already navigated a game without James this season. This assignment brings an additional complication: Embiid will be unavailable, too, while Jaylen Brown remains questionable.
Why Is LeBron James Out Against the Hornets?
James’ official designation is injury management, following his appearance in Friday’s victory over the New York Knicks.
James finished that game with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Philadelphia now heads into the second game of the back-to-back without the veteran who supplied that scoring, rebounding and playmaking.
The distinction in the report matters. Saturday’s listing identifies management of James’ back and sciatica; it does not announce a new injury or establish an extended absence.
This is also a familiar designation. James missed Philadelphia’s Oct. 24 game against the Milwaukee Bucks because of low back/sciatica management.
But the arrangement around him has changed.
As Chris Hine of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported, James and Embiid split their absences during Philadelphia’s previous back-to-back. James sat against Milwaukee, and Embiid missed the following game against Detroit.
Against Charlotte, the Sixers will have neither available. Their remaining rotation must cover both jobs at once.
Joel Embiid’s Absence Adds Another Sixers Lineup Question
Philadelphia’s earlier solution without Embiid involved moving James into the middle.
The Sixers started James at center against the Pistons, alongside Tyrese Maxey, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brown and Dean Wade. That particular workaround is unavailable Saturday.
Brown’s status adds another unresolved piece. He is questionable with left patellar tendinopathy after missing Friday’s Knicks game. Until his availability is settled, Philadelphia cannot count on him to absorb more of the offensive responsibility.
Maxey becomes the central offensive figure with James and Embiid sidelined. Anfernee Simons offers another scoring option, while the eventual starting lineup will show how Nick Nurse intends to balance ballhandling, shooting and size.
The frontcourt decisions extend beyond replacing Embiid in the starting five. Jabari Walker is questionable with left patellar tendinopathy, and Tacko Fall is questionable with a left quadriceps strain.
Dominick Barlow, who has a low back stress reaction, and Ariel Hukporti, who has a right Achilles tendon rupture/tear, are out.
Those designations leave Nurse waiting on multiple availability decisions before his frontcourt options are settled. Neither Walker nor Fall should be treated as a confirmed reinforcement based on a questionable listing.
James’ absence answers the biggest individual question before tipoff. Brown, Walker and Fall will determine how many options Philadelphia has to cover what he and Embiid leave behind.
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