Sixers’ Nick Nurse Assesses Joel Embiid’s Return vs. OKC Thunder

How did Joel Embiid perform against the OKC Thunder in the eyes of Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse?

Apr 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during | Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time since January 30, Joel Embiid returned to the court for the Philadelphia 76ers as they faced the Western Conference’s top team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

After undergoing a corrective procedure for a meniscus injury back in February, Embiid spent eight weeks recovering. While he targeted a late-season return to action, nobody could be sure if the Sixers would have the opportunity to insert the seven-time All-Star back in the lineup.

Fortunately, the Sixers had that opportunity on Tuesday, as Embiid went from being ruled out, to getting upgraded to available ahead of the tip-off.

Prior to Tuesday’s game, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse anticipated a minutes restriction for the MVP-winning big man. Being that Embiid hasn’t played a full shift since January, the Sixers understand he needs to be eased back into the process.

“I think minutes-wise that was probably where I thought we would end up,” Nurse said after Tuesday night’s game.

Embiid typically averaged around 35 minutes on the court for the Sixers, but on Tuesday, he checked in for 29 minutes. As expected, the big man had some rust to shake off in the beginning, but he looked comfortable.

“I thought we got a good start into the half and it mapped out, something like that, minutes-wise,” Nurse added.

Offensively, Embiid wasn’t necessarily a powerhouse, but he was one of the Sixers’ most productive players in that area. Taking 14 shots from the field and 12 shots from the charity stripe, Embiid finished the game with 24 points. Then with his improved passing, Embiid tacked on seven assists for the night.

“I thought the biggest impact, he scored some. I thought he passed the ball really well,” Nurse explained.

While Embiid’s offense tends to outshine all other areas of his game, he once again proved that defensively, he is one of the best rim protectors in the league when he’s healthy. Despite taking so much time off, Embiid’s presence in the paint certainly made a difference on Tuesday.

“When we start amping up our defense in the last six minutes he was down there again as I talked about before the game. Some of those drives didn’t look as productive, so that to me is where I really thought he impacted the game. It was defensively late, but yeah, he looked pretty good for not playing for a couple of months, that’s for sure,” Nurse finished.

From a personal standpoint, Embiid was critical of his performance against the Thunder. Knowing it’s going to take time before his conditioning reaches an optimal level, the star center understands there’s another gear he can hit after taking so much time away.

That doesn’t change Embiid’s impact on Tuesday, though. After returning from a 29-game stretch of absences, the star center helped the Sixers collect a 109-105 win over OKC. The Sixers now have their sights set on the Miami Heat.

Related Reading
Joel Embiid’s Honest Take on Return vs. OKC Thunder
76ers’ Playoff Snapshot Amid Joel Embiid’s Return
Robert Covington Remains Out for 76ers vs. Thunder