PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers needed their superstar leader to get back on the floor amid his recovery from a left meniscus injury. After not playing since Jan. 30, Joel Embiid finally did so on Tuesday.
The big fella played 29:22 and scored 24 points with seven assists, six rebounds and three steals in a 109-105 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Embiid shot 6-for-14 from the floor and 12-for-12 from the free-throw line while making big plays down the stretch to get the job done.
The Sixers are still missing Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington, but having Embiid back is crucial.
“I thought I could have been better,” Embiid said after the win. “I’m happy with the win. We needed that one. I want us to go on a run to finish the season, but every one of these matters. So we gotta take them and we gotta keep competing, but just honestly the only thing that I want is us to be healthy. Whether it’s Tyrese, Cov, Melt, I just want us to have that chance because we’re not gonna be as good without everybody. So it’s not just about me.”
It wasn’t the usual dominant performance by Embiid, but it was good enough to get the win. That is what matters as Philadelphia continues to try to climb the standings.
“I thought I was pretty bad, but I just understand,” Embiid continued. “Like I said, usually when I come back from these things, I usually get back to my 30, 40, whatever it takes to get the win but this time, it’s a little different. So it’s gonna take me a while to get back to myself and really trust myself, but as long as we win.”
One of the biggest moments of the game was when Embiid stripped Thunder guard Josh Giddey and went the other way. OKC big man Chet Holmgren hustled back to get in front of Embiid but fouled him. The reigning league MVP hit the two free throws to put Philadelphia up 108-105 with 25 seconds left and essentially sealed the win.
“I think my biggest impact is just being out there defensively,” he added. “That’s why I was happy I got the last stop of the game because I think I’m the best defender in the league, but just want to be out there provide space for everybody, attract attention, and get guys wide open.”
Embiid looked winded. That’s to be expected after not playing professional basketball for two months, but he knows what he has to do.
“Any time you’re not playing, it’s impossible to get in shape,” he finished. “It doesn’t matter what you do. I’ve done stuff the last three days — actually, I didn’t do anything the last two days — but before that, I did stuff for two days and I thought there was a chance I could be better and then you get in the game and it’s totally different. That’s the best way to get in shape and that’s how I’ve always done it, and so I’m excited to keep pushing myself and hopefully, I get to where I want to be.”
The Sixers begin a three-game road trip on Thursday against the Miami Heat in an important contest.
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