Sixers’ center Joel Embiid is still dealing with a lingering knee injury, which could make him miss his ninth straight game.

The Philadelphia 76ers are in good shape in terms of making the NBA playoffs. While their status of making the tournament isn’t really in question, they are becoming candidates for potentially getting bounced out in the first round, because without their All-Star center Joel Embiid they are far from Finals contenders.

The worst part about Embiid constantly missing time is the fact that even when he returns, he still has to get back into the groove of things. Ever since the All-Star break, Embiid has been absent for eight straight games. And his timetable of one week turned out to be almost a month at this point.

There were high hopes for Embiid’s return this Sunday, but right now he’s in question. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey, Embiid’s game status against the Indiana Pacers is questionable, depending on how he feels after pregame warmups before tip-off.

What are the chances that Embiid plays?

His playing will be contingent on how he performs and feels during his pregame workout tomorrow. https://t.co/e9QYOKkbmI

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) March 9, 2019

What are the chances that Embiid plays against the Pacers? Well, your guess is as good as mine. Seeing as though Embiid and the Sixers haven’t been very accurate with this entire timetable for return, the report of him being just questionable is very concerning. If Embiid misses this Sunday’s game, that makes it nine straight for the big man.

The Sixers aren’t doomed, but at the same time, they need Embiid back severely. As it turns out, those power moves at the trade deadline still haven’t made the Sixers look like they are powerful enough to make a legitimate playoff run. With or without Embiid, they must win against the Pacers on Sunday.

Being that they have an awful record against the East’s top contenders, it would be very concerning to see them lose to a short-staffed Indiana team. Especially after the way they played through their last two games.