Sixers’ Joel Embiid Offers Honest Take on Return vs. Thunder

Joel Embiid reacts to his first game back, after the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the OKC Thunder.

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

For the first time since late January, the Philadelphia 76ers had Joel Embiid in their starting five on Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Last week, Embiid started ramping up for a return as he recovered from his meniscus surgery. After getting in a full practice session with his teammates for the first time last Thursday, Embiid hit the road for the Sixers’ two-game road trip.

While Embiid was around the team for their Friday night loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers and their Sunday night victory over the Toronto Raptors, he did not get cleared for action.

The expectation was that Embiid would return to the court sometime this week. Initially, the Sixers ruled out the idea of having Embiid compete on Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. A couple of hours before the game tipped off, Embiid was upgraded to questionable.

After going through his pregame warmups, Embiid determined he would be able to play. Sure enough, the Sixers cleared him for action for the first time since their January 30 loss against the Golden State Warriors.

As expected, Embiid started by playing in small spurts on Tuesday night. After getting the start, the big man got his feet wet with a quick four-minute shift. During that time, he went 1-2 from the field, with an assist, steal, and two turnovers. With a little under two minutes left in the first, Embiid made his way back out on the floor to instantly hit a jumper.

By the end of the first half, Embiid collected nearly 15 minutes of playing time. During his first half back in action, the big man scored 12 points, along with grabbing three rebounds, while dishing out four assists.

In the second half, he attempted just five shots on the offensive end, knocking down two of them. While he lacked efficiency from the field, the big man feasted at the free throw line, hitting on all eight of his attempts to score another 12 points in the second half.

Embiid’s presence certainly had a positive impact on the Sixers, but the star center noted he’s got a long way to go after Tuesday night’s tight victory over OKC.

“I thought I was pretty bad,” Embiid said. “Like I said, usually when I come back from these things, I think I’m usually getting back to myself, 30, 40, whatever it takes to win but this time is a little different. It’s going to take me a while to get back to myself and really trust myself.”

Embiid played a little under 30 minutes in his first set of action back. He produced 24 points, trailing only Kelly Oubre, who led the team with 25 points on 50 percent shooting.

Outside of the scoring department, Embiid came down with six rebounds, while dishing out seven assists, and snatching three steals. By his own standards, Embiid could’ve been much better, but at the end of the night, the MVP did what he needed to do to accomplish the ultimate goal.

“As long as we win, I think my biggest impact is just being out there,” he added. “And defensively, I was happy I got the last stop of the game because I think I’m the best defender in the league. I just want to be out there, provide space for everybody, attract attention, and get guys wide open.”

As a team, the Sixers shot 46 percent from the field and nearly knocked down half of their threes. Despite trailing by double-digits throughout a stretch, the Sixers put together a solid effort to form a comeback and take down the Thunder 109-105.