Joel Embiid makes his return to the 76ers after meniscus tear.
Philadelphia 76ers’s Joel Embiid made his come back this past Tuesday night. It was his first time back on the court for a game since January 30th.
Embiid was recovering from a procedure on his lateral meniscus. In the beginning of the game Embiid proved to be a little rusty. By the end of the first quarter, Embiid had scored his first basket in months.
While it was evident Embiid’s left knee injury was still slightly affecting him, he ended up finishing with 24 points on 6 for 14 shooting in 29 minutes. Although he missed all three of his 3-pointers, he did achieve 12-for-12 from the free throw line.
With Embiid’s seven assists for a team-high, the 76ers defeated the Thunder 109-105.
During postgame interviews, Embiid reported that he was not feeling good after the game and was glad they got through it for the win.
During the 2022-2023 season the NBA MVP Embiid was in great shape to win his second MVP in a row. His left knee meniscus injury interfered with that achievement.
The 76ers were in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They were only two games behind the second-place team and that is when Embiid last played. It is clear that Joel Embiid has the talent, athleticism, speed, and power to carry his team to victories and his absence proves such as the Sixers ended up 11-18 and fell to eighth place.
Now that Embiid has made his return, it is evident that he is going to bring the same qualities that had the Sixers in fifth place in the Eastern Conference as he scored 24 points in his first return game after his injury.