The Philadelphia 76er Sixer star forward, Joel Embiid, returned to the Court for the first time after missing close to three weeks and helped his team victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves 122-113, with Embid scoring 24 points.
Embiid suffered a knee injury in March when his team played the Washington Wizard. The star forward went for a dunk and land hard on the floor. Initially, many fans thought Embid season was over, but MRI showed that Embiid did not suffer any structural damage. Doctors later determined that the injury was a hyper-extension and a bone bruise.
Despite fears that he could be out for a more extended period or even the entire season, Embid missed just three weeks. His team did better than expected with his absence, winning 7 out of 10 teams and still in second place behind the Eastern Conference’s Brooklyn Nets. With the Sixers’ impressive form without their big man, they are delighted that he is back and Saturday night’s win on their home court demonstrates the significance of Embid being in the team’s lineup.
After three weeks on the sideline, the big man had some catching up to do as he missed his first six shots and turned the ball over four times. Referee Karl Anthony reprimanded Embid for his continued complaining, which was basically due to his frustration of not making his shots around the basket. That aside, Embid was brilliant and showed why he is still in the league MVP conversation for this season.
Guarding Embid is a challenging task for opponents, and Saturday night was no different. He went to the free-throw line and made 12 out of 17 after he was fouled eight times by the opposing team players.
As the Philadelphia 76er Sixers try to keep in striking distance with the Eastern Conference leader, the Nets, Saturday night win was a big boost for the team, and having Embid back and healthy for a long haul will be huge as the team prepares for the playoffs. Last season, NBA playoff games were played in the bubbles without any spectators because of the coronavirus. But this year, there will be fans in the stands to cheer their team to victory, as closed to 4000 fans were available for Embid’s return and saw their team over the Timberwolves.
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