Embiid Scores 24 Points To Win After Recovering From Knee Injury
The meniscus injury that has kept the current NBA MVP out of commission for two months
On Tuesday, the query of when Joel Embiid will rejoin the Philadelphia 76ers starting lineup was finally addressed. He was leading the Sixers to victory in his first game back after more than two months a few hours later.
In 29 minutes against the undermanned Oklahoma City Thunder, Embiid scored 24 points on 6-of-14 shooting, pulled down six rebounds, dished out seven assists, committed three steals, and committed six turnovers. Against three defenders, he made a comeback with a jump shot:
In the final seconds of the game, the former MVP emerged victorious, stealing a crucial possession from Josh Giddey on a crucial Sixers possession, and making four consecutive free throws to put the team ahead:
It was evident that Embiid was glad to return.
“When I get harmed, I generally move on to the next one. This one was mentally taxing. All I wanted to do was get back. In terms of mental strain, this one was most likely the hardest.”
Joel Embiid stated after the game.
It is obvious that the Sixers need to defeat the Thunder, who are now dominating the Western Conference, even if the Thunder were missing their two best scorers, Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In their absence, Chet Holmgren scored 22 points to lead the squad in scoring.
Soon before Tuesday’s match, Embiid’s status was modified to questionable, igniting rumors that the reigning NBA MVP would really make a comeback to the court. The big man’s return was verified by more news from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Just that Embiid was working on the court during warmup did Sixers coach Nick Nurse indicate that Embiid would play. He did, however, concede that when the center recovered from his injury, he would probably be limited in terms of minutes played.
Since January 30, Embiid, 30, has missed time due to an injury. He was experiencing pain in his left knee and underwent surgery to repair a meniscus damage. Embiid was leading the NBA in scoring at the time of his injury, averaging 35.3 points per contest. He also averaged 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 34 games.
Reports state that Embiid was initially thought to be out of the game on Tuesday since he did not take part in Philadelphia’s shoot-around earlier in the day.
With a 41–35 record and a postseason position secured, Embiid’s comeback is timely for the 76ers, who are presently the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Gaining ground on the Miami Heat or Indiana Pacers might mean avoiding both the NBA’s top-seeded Boston Celtics and the Play-In Tournament, which pits teams ranked seven through ten.
