PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid returned from a four-game absence in a 110-97 win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night, and put up a masterful performance.
In three quarters, Embiid had 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. He shot 10-for-20 from the floor and 9-for-12 from the free-throw line. It was just another day at the office for the reigning league MVP.
Embiid is on track to win the award again. However, with 49 games to go, the big fella cannot miss more than 10 games if he wants a chance at a second consecutive award. The NBA’s player participation policy states a player has to play in at least 65 games to be eligible for postseason awards.
“I just wanna play as many games as possible,” Embiid said of the policy. “You can’t control it. It’s unfortunate that I missed the last four games, but you can’t control it. If I’m healthy — I said it at the beginning of the season. My goal was — I knew that was gonna happen anyways — but my goal was to try to play 82 games and every single game.”
Embiid was dealing with a right ankle sprain he suffered on Dec. 22 against the Toronto Raptors. It’s an unfortunate injury that caused him to miss the entirety of Philadelphia’s road trip over Christmas. Those little injuries play a part in every season and cause a player to miss time. It’s unfortunate stuff.
“Sometimes, it’s just not possible,” Embiid finished. “Sometimes stuff happens. Sometimes this guy wants you to take a break, but any chance that I get that I’m healthy, I’m always gonna be out there.”
Embiid has shown a commitment to staying in shape in the 2023-24 season. He wants to be available for Philadelphia on a nightly basis and wants to lead the Sixers to wins. That is where things stand as the big fella moves forward with his MVP and title quest.
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