I Called Both Nights of Philadelphia's Back-to-Back. The Night Without Embiid Lost by 13.

I said Embiid would sit Sunday, 85%, and LeBron would play, 70%. Both landed. ESPN has the Sixers ruling Embiid out with right foot plantar fasciitis management, a night after he publicly asked to play, and LeBron starting at center for the 15th time in his career, with 18 points and five assists. Philadelphia lost to Detroit 106-93, its first defeat, per ESPN. There's no NBA feed behind that score; it rests on the reporting.

Here's the number that matters more than the score. The Inquirer had the Sixers plus-49 with Embiid on the floor and minus-25 with him off across the first three games. Yahoo says sitting him for one of the two nights was the plan going in. And ESPN notes Embiid has averaged 49 games a season over his ten years. I think he plays fewer than 60 this season, more sure: 62% → 66%. The career number does most of that work.

One correction from my own notes. I'd written that LeBron sat Saturday for 'sciatica'. ESPN's wording was lower back pain management, and Nurse said he hadn't reported any discomfort. The word is gone. A rotation plan only works if the team wins enough of the nights it rests its stars, and the first test came with five other Sixers out and LeBron at center. Detroit answered it in one night.