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Joel Embiid Offers Honest Personal Assessment After 76ers-Magic

How was Joel Embiid feeling in Friday's loss against the Magic?
Justin Grasso|
Nov 15, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on against the Orlando Magic in the third quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Nov 15, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on against the Orlando Magic in the third quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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On Friday night, Joel Embiid returned to the Philadelphia 76ers’ lineup. Although he made his 2024-2025 debut on Tuesday night against the New York Knicks, Embiid had a night off against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Against the Orlando Magic, Embiid had an opportunity to help get his struggling team back on track. In his first set of action against New York, Embiid’s shot was off. He acknowledged being rusty after the game.

With his second matchup in the books, how is the big man feeling now?

"I’m feeling much better," he told reporters, according to Sixers Wire. "Especially, the start. I thought at first I was OK. The second half, I thought I was actually pretty good.”

Embiid started Friday’s game much better. He checked in for 16 minutes and made five of his eight shot attempts from the field. After tacking on six points from the free throw line, Embiid produced 16 points to help the Sixers gain a small lead over the Magic going into the half.

He might’ve felt better from a conditioning standpoint in the second half, but he struggled to remain consistent with his production.

In his final 16 minutes on the court, Embiid went scoreless from the field after taking seven shots. His only production came from the free throw line, where he produced four points.

“Just felt like my legs were a little tight and felt like every shot I was taking was short,” he continued. “So just keep building on and then get to a point where I'm myself."

The Sixers are used to getting 30 points per night from Embiid when he’s healthy. Through two matchups, he’s averaging just about half of that production on 27 percent shooting from the field. Being that he hasn’t played a full NBA game since the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Nick Nurse and the Sixers anticipated rust from the center. It’s just another hurdle they’ll have to get over after a slow start.

Philly fell short against the Magic on Friday with a 98-86 loss. In NBA Cup play, they drop to 0-2. In the Eastern Conference, they are in 14th place with a 2-10 record.

The Sixers will be back on the floor on Monday night to take on the Miami Heat.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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