
No. 2 scorer Stojakovic returns to loaded Illinois
Andrej Stojakovic is back at Illinois for his senior year, boosting their title hopes!
The Sixers secured a 109-97 victory over the Orlando Magic with Andre Drummond and Adem Bona stepping up in Joel Embiid's absence due to an emergency appendectomy. Drummond recorded a double-double, while Bona contributed key defensive plays.
PHILADELPHIA -- Let's be real, one can't really replace Joel Embiid. Even as he was in and out of the lineup dealing with injuries and a variety of ailments, the big fella still averaged 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds in the 38 games he was limited to in 2025-26.
With Embiid sidelined after having to undergo an emergency appendectomy on April 9, the Sixers have had to turn to Andre Drummond and Adem Bona to fill in for one of the game's great players.
They answered the bell in Wednesday's 109-97 win over the Orlando Magic in the play-in tournament. Drummond had 14 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks while knocking down the dagger 3 for Philadelphia late while Bona had three big blocks in the third quarter.
"I thought Bona was great," said Paul George. "He was athletic. He made a lot of big plays, protecting the basket. I thought he altered a lot of shots, which forced misses and allowed us to get those rebounds. I thought he was just active. Drum gave us—he was dominated on both sides. I thought he had some good plays, keeping balls alive, rebounding. Those two big 3s he made. I thought he was, you know, he was definitely special on both ends."
As the Sixers now head into the playoffs to take on the Boston Celtics, they will continue to lean on that Bona-Drummond duo. That is what's going to take them to the next level. While Embiid continues to recover, they will need both Drummond and Bona to play a huge role for Philadelphia.
"Those two guys are—they stay ready," said Tyrese Maxey. "Andre Drummond, he stays ready, man. When Joel plays, sometimes he doesn't play. Sometimes he doesn’t play until the fourth quarter, but he's been huge for us this year, honestly. I’m so proud of him. So proud."
Andre Drummond scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and recorded three steals and three blocks.
Adem Bona had a significant impact with three blocks and was praised for his athleticism and defensive presence.
Joel Embiid was sidelined due to an emergency appendectomy he underwent on April 9.

Andrej Stojakovic is back at Illinois for his senior year, boosting their title hopes!

LaMelo Ball relieved Bam Adebayo's injury isn't serious after tripping him in game.

Get ready for $150 train fares from NYC to MetLife Stadium for World Cup matches!

Texans and Will Anderson Jr. agree to historic $150M extension!
Are the Red Sox putting too much pressure on Roman Anthony?
Exploring Trey Kaufman-Renn's Unique Journey at Purdue Basketball
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
To Maxey's point, there are stretches where Drummond doesn't play and that can be a big challenge for a 14-year veteran. Instead of pouting, he puts his head down, continues to work hard, continues to be there for his team, and continues to be a teacher to Bona and the other youngsters.
"He stayed ready," Maxey continued. "He's done a good job, and he's been really professional, and he just did a good job. He's done a good job teaching Bona certain things. Like rebounding things, and he’s been a great vet to this team. So again, I gotta shout him out again. He's been great. We really appreciate him."
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers single out center duo of Andre Drummond, Adem Bona after win