2023 MVP Center Makes Return for 76ers
On Jan. 30th, 2023 NBA MVP center Joel Embiid suffered an injury to his left knee (lateral meniscus) against the Golden State Warriors, as Warriors’ forward Jonathan Kuminga accidentally fell on his knee that resulted in Embiid requiring surgery a couple of days later. Since then, the 76ers have been without their superstar leader for over two months with Philadelphia having struggled to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference with the 76ers going 11-18 in 29 games missed by Embiid. Prior to action on Tuesday, the 76ers sat in eighth place with a 40-35 record and were two-and-a-half games back of the Indiana Pacers for sixth place in the conference to avoid the Play-In Tournament. Following reports on Monday that Embiid was anticipated to return at some point this week, the 2023 NBA Scoring Champion made his return to the starting five on Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder in front of the home crowd.
In his first game in 63 days, Embiid finished the game with 24 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and three steals as the 76ers pulled out a last-second 109-105 comeback victory over the Thunder. With the official return of Embiid, the seven-time All-Star will undoubtedly have a massive impact on Philadelphia’s playoff success this postseason. Prior to Embiids’ absence, the 76ers were sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 29-16 record and were heading toward another top seed in the playoffs. With Embiid on the court this season, the Sixers have a 27-8 record and are averaging 121 points per game, 44.2 rebounds per game, and 25.8 assists per game. In 35 games played this season, Embiid has averaged a career-high in points (35.3), assists (5.7) and free throw percentage (88.3%).
Following Sixers coach Nick Nurse's announcement last week that the team would travel with star big man Embiid to work out, there was speculation that Embiid was getting close to making a comeback. Embiid's recovery process was able to occur at an increased pace which led to the Sixers’ centerpiece making his return on Tuesday before the end of the regular season. With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, Embiid and the Sixers, even without home-court advantage, should be viewed as a serious contender in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers would be scheduled to play either the second-seeded Milwaukee Bucks or the top-seeded Boston Celtics if they were to advance past the Play-In Tournament.
