The Philadelphia 76ers are in the midst of a road trip and will now face Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. The Sixers are vying for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. There is a huge question left to answer before the two teams tip off at 10:00 P.M EST: Is James Harden playing tonight vs. the Warriors?

James Harden injury status vs. Warriors

Harden was initially listed as questionable to play against the Warriors due to soreness in his left Achilles. The veteran star has missed two of the Sixers' last three games. After the Sixers' win on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls, Doc Rivers said that he expects Harden to play but isn't guaranteeing it. Unfortunately, Harden has now been downgraded to out for Friday's showdown, per Warriors beat reporter Anthony Slater of the Athletic.

The Sixers know more than any team how important it is to be healthy for the playoffs. They have gone through several years of Joel Embiid dealing with injuries in the postseason and dealt with Harden being less than his best self last year. Keeping their stars out here and there will be key for them.

The good news for the Sixers is that Joel Embiid will be available to play on Friday after initially being listed as questionable. The Warriors will be without Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Andre Iguodala and Ryan Rollins. Golden State has been very good at home this season, so Philly will very likely need Harden to play in order to secure a win.

Now, with regard to the question of is James Harden playing tonight vs. the Warriors, the answer is no.