The Philadelphia 76ers have ruled out LeBron James and Joel Embiid for Saturday night's road matchup against the Charlotte Hornets as the organization manages both stars' injuries during the second half of a back-to-back.
Philadelphia's latest injury report lists James as out due to low back/sciatica management, while Embiid will sit because of right foot plantar fascia injury management.
The 76ers (5-1) enter Saturday's contest following a 98-93 victory over the New York Knicks in Friday night's NBA Cup opener, extending their strong start to the 2026-27 season.
James and Embiid both played significant minutes in the victory despite Philadelphia missing Jaylen Brown, who was ruled out shortly before tip-off with left patellar tendinopathy.
James finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, one steal and one block across 34 minutes. The 41-year-old shot 8-for-15 from the field and 2-for-6 from beyond the arc.
Embiid contributed 10 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block in 33 minutes. The 32-year-old struggled offensively, shooting 3-for-12 from the field and missing all four of his 3-point attempts.
76ers face additional injury concerns against Hornets
Through five appearances, James is averaging 16.4 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, 1.6 steals and one block while shooting 44.9% from the field.
Embiid is averaging 19.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and one block across 35.2 minutes per game, shooting 40% from the field.
Article Continues BelowPhiladelphia's injury report also lists Dominick Barlow (low back stress reaction) and Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendon rupture) as out.
Brown remains questionable with left patellar tendinopathy, alongside Tacko Fall (left quadriceps strain) and Jabari Walker (left patellar tendinopathy).
With James and Embiid unavailable, Philadelphia could rely more heavily on Tyrese Maxey and its remaining rotation players to maintain its early-season momentum.
The 76ers will face the Hornets (3-3) Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on NBA TV.