Joel Embiid had emergency appendicitis surgery in Houston hours before tip-off.

Joel Embiid's season may effectively be over. The Philadelphia 76ers center underwent emergency surgery for appendicitis in Houston on Wednesday, hours before what was supposed to be a regular game against the Rockets. He reportedly called the team at 3 a.m. from a Houston hospital.

The typical recovery timeline for an appendectomy is 3-6 weeks, which means Embiid would miss the entire first round of the playoffs at minimum — if the Sixers even make it that far. Philadelphia's postseason hopes were already on life support before this news, and now they've flatlined.

This is the latest chapter in what has become one of the most injury-plagued careers of any superstar in NBA history. Embiid has missed significant time in virtually every season since being drafted, and this appendicitis episode adds another cruel twist. The Sixers are running out of time to figure out how to build a contender that doesn't require Embiid to stay healthy for 82 games — because history keeps proving that he can't.