The Philadelphia 76ers are set to play their first home preseason game against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. The Sixers were without their two key stars, Joel Embiid and James Harden, during their preseason opener and both of their statuses are once again unclear heading into tonight's game. With the first Wells Fargo Center crowd of the season soon to congregate, there is a lingering question on everyone's mind: Is James Harden playing tonight vs. the Celtics?

James Harden's status vs. Celtics

Sixers, James Harden, Harden trade, Sixers trade, Sixers Harden

Despite being a full participant in the Sixers' practice on Tuesday, James Harden has officially been ruled out for Wednesday night's game. Head coach Nick Nurse recently said that the team is taking things day-by-day with the veteran star, which is why he is not playing against Boston. After demanding a trade, skipping media day, and missing the first day of training camp, Harden joined Philly for camp and has since continued to practice with the team.

Related Philadelphia 76ers NewsArticle continues below
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and forward Paul George (8) defend against Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) during the first half at United Center.
76ers’ Paul George drops ‘scrambling’ admission due to Joel Embiid’s unavailability
Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) catches a ball against the Golden State Warriors during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center.
76ers’ Paul George pushes back at haters questioning his work ethic
Philadelphia 76ers resident of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey speaks with the media before a game against the Detroit Pistons at Wells Fargo Center.
Daryl Morey’s 4-word statement on 76ers winning No. 3 pick

The Sixers lost their preseason opener to the Celtics by a score of 114-106. Harden, Joel Embiid, De'Anthony Melton and Furkan Korkmaz were all inactive.

Nurse said that Korkmaz, who is still dealing with a leg strain and did not practice on Tuesday, is expected to be inactive while Melton returned to practice. The Celtics will be playing their third preseason game in four days after facing the Sixers on Sunday and facing the New York Knicks on Monday. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Derrick White all did not play for Boston.

The question of if James Harden is playing tonight has been answered, leaving his status for Sixers preseason in doubt. Harden's next chance to play will be on Monday, Oct. 16 against the Brooklyn Nets.