Joel Embiid Returns to Practice, Expected to Play vs. Heat

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has returned to practice on Tuesday, and is expected to play against the Miami Heat on Wednesday.

CAMDEN, NJ -- A sudden sickness has caused Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid to miss last Sunday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. After playing in a back to back and getting Saturday off, it didn't seem like there was a possibility the 76ers would prevent Embiid from playing in Brooklyn.

However, the center's body said otherwise. As he was dealing with what was diagnosed as an upper-respiratory infection, the Sixers weren't able to trot Embiid out onto the floor to get the go against the Nets.

His absence was obvious, as the Sixers struggled to not only score in Brooklyn, but they struggled to defend in the paint as well. All in all, the 76ers took a disappointing loss to Brooklyn, going home with a 109-89 loss.

Joel Embiid (upper respiratory) returned to practice today and is expected to be available tomorrow.

— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) December 17, 2019

The defeat can't be entirely blamed on the loss of Embiid, but we know by now the Sixers are clearly a much better team with their All-Star big man on the floor. Fortunately, Embiid should be able to play against the Miami Heat on Wednesday as he returned to practice on Tuesday in preparation for the big rematch.

Last time the Miami Heat came to town, the Sixers laid a beatdown, winning 113-86, spoiling the return of Jimmy Butler. While the 76ers aren't going to head into Wednesday's game expecting the same results, at least they know their chances of winning again will go up based on the fact that Embiid will be back out onto the floor.

As Embiid, Al Horford, and Josh Richardson get back to being fully healthy from their respective injuries over the last couple of weeks, it looks like the Sixers are finally going to be able to see what they truly have in their starting lineup after missing so much time.