76ers’ Joel Embiid Offers Details on Latest Injury Setback

After going several games without their star center, Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers’ starting five saw a significant boost on Monday afternoon as the big man returned to the court.

Lately, Embiid has been dealing with multiple setbacks, including a sprained ankle and knee inflammation, with the latter being his most recent.

After returning from Monday’s matchup, Embiid offered an update on his health and his reason for missing some time lately.

“We just wanted to make sure that we knew what was going on,” Embiid told reporters after a Sixers victory over the Rockets on Monday. “This is the perfect time because the goal is to be ready for April, May, June. We just wanted to make sure that it was, you know, we knew what was happening for us, and also making sure that we see, we look at the long run and get ready for what’s to come next.”

Embiid didn’t look like he lost a step on Monday. Returning for a 31-minute shift, the veteran big man knocked down 12 of his 21 shots from the field. He also feasted from the free throw line, knocking down all but one of his 17 foul shots.

The MVP produced 41 points in the scoring department. He notched a double-double by coming down with ten rebounds.

When healthy, Embiid has remained one of the NBA’s most dominant on both ends of the floor. Unfortunately, health has been an issue as of late.

In December, Embiid played in nine games. He missed the Christmas Day matchup against the Miami Heat due to an ankle injury, which lingered over the next four games. When Embiid returned for the Sixers’ first outing of 2024, he appeared in just two games before experiencing swelling in the knee. As a result, Embiid missed three games in a row.

Based on his comments from Monday, Embiid seems to be in good shape and could be ready to have a quick turnaround and face the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday. For now, his playing status is unclear.