Sixers overrule Joel Embiid and sit him against Detroit to manage his right foot

Joel Embiid wanted to play the second night of the 76ers' first back-to-back. The team said no, ruling him out of Sunday's game against the Detroit Pistons with right foot plantar fasciitis management, ESPN's Kris Rhim reported. The Sixers lost 106-93, their first defeat of the season.

Embiid had made his case in public the night before, after his triple-double against Milwaukee. "I actually want to play tomorrow, so can you guys put pressure on them," he told reporters, smiling. The Sixers went the other way, with an eye on keeping the former MVP healthy over 82 games. Embiid has averaged 49 games a season over his 10 seasons, ESPN noted.

The case for playing him was strong on paper. On Saturday he had 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 127-116 win over the Bucks, the 10th triple-double of his career, and went 12 of 14 from the line while LeBron James sat out to manage low back pain. Through three games Embiid is averaging 21.7 points and 9.7 rebounds.

What Sunday looked like without him

The Sixers were thin before Embiid sat. Backup big Jabari Walker hurt his left knee against Milwaukee, Dominick Barlow (back) and Tacko Fall (quadriceps) were already out, and Ariel Hukporti is out for the season after Achilles surgery. VJ Edgecombe, the second-year guard who had 13 rebounds on Saturday, was also ruled out with an abdominal contusion.

That left Adem Bona as the only true center available, and James started at center for the first time in five seasons. Detroit opened on a 15-1 run and led wire to wire. Bona had 13 rebounds in a season-high 25 minutes, but the Pistons won the boards 54-37, and Cade Cunningham scored 26. Tyrese Maxey had 29 for the Sixers. More on James at center.

Indiana tonight, and the next back-to-back

Neither Embiid nor Edgecombe was on ESPN's injury report for Wednesday's game at Indiana (7 p.m., ESPN) as of Wednesday morning, while Walker, Fall, Barlow and Hukporti were listed as out. The Pacers (2-2) have their own list: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin and Aaron Nesmith are day-to-day.

The next real test of the plan comes this weekend. The Sixers host the Knicks on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and play at Charlotte on Saturday at 6 p.m., their second back-to-back in a week. The team has not said how it will handle him, but if Sunday is the template, Embiid will not play both nights of every back-to-back, whatever he says the night before. Prices for tonight's game and the Charlotte game are on the board, and the full schedule is on the Sixers page.