Sixers Reveal Joel Embiid’s Official Status vs. OKC Thunder

The Philadelphia 76ers will get a much-needed boost on Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

As many have hoped and speculated, the Sixers’ star center Joel Embiid will be back in action.

The last time the Sixers had Embiid on the court was back in January. In a matchup against the Golden State Warriors, Embiid returned from a two-game absence. He checked in for nearly 30 minutes before leaving early with a knee injury during the fourth quarter.

After getting tests done, Embiid was diagnosed with a meniscus injury. After weighing his recovery options, Embiid opted for surgery. He wasn’t ruled out for the season, but wasn’t sure if a return before the NBA Playoffs was in the cards.

As it turns out, Embiid will manage to make it back before the postseason.

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— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 2, 2024

Last week, Embiid returned to practice in full for the first time. When the Sixers hit the road for a two-game road trip, Embiid joined them for the first time since he suffered his injury. Although he practiced on the road, Embiid was ruled out against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors.

Several reports indicated Embiid was considering a return this week as early as Tuesday’s game against the Thunder. Initially, Embiid was ruled out. When the Sixers went through their Tuesday morning shootaround, the big man was not a participant, which hinted his status could be final.

However, that was not the case. Before the game, Embiid went through a pregame routine to determine whether he would be able to make his return and play or not. At that point, the Sixers felt confident enough to upgrade the big man to questionable.

Fortunately for Philadelphia, Embiid will get the nod to play. After missing 29 games in a row, Embiid will play for the first time since late January. Before going down with his injury, Embiid was on fire, making another case to win the NBA’s MVP award.

Through 34 games, Embiid averaged a league-high 35 points while draining 53 percent of his shots. In addition, he also averaged 11 rebounds and six assists. For the seventh season in a row, Embiid was named an NBA All-Star.

While his absence over the last couple of months put the Sixers in a tough spot, Embiid should be available moving forward, as the Sixers fight for a spot in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.