Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will return to the court as early as Tuesday, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
76ers star Joel Embiid is nearing comeback as soon as Tuesday’s home game vs. OKC Thunder, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The reigning NBA MVP has positively completed multiple five-on-five scrimmage sessions in recent days. pic.twitter.com/IUGW23995l
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 1, 2024
On Tuesday, the Sixers face the Oklahoma City Thunder and 2024 MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They’ll then head out for a three-game road trip from Apr. 4-7. The 2023-24 NBA regular season ends on Apr. 14.
Joel Embiid’s Potential Injury Return Date, Revealed
Embiid has missed the Sixers’ last 29 games with a knee injury. Philadelphia has gone 11-18 in those contests while sliding to eighth-place in the Eastern Conference standings.
To that point, even if Embiid wants to wait until it’s a bit closer to the 2024 NBA Playoffs to return to the court, he may not be able to. The 76ers are 11.0 games ahead of the 11th-place Brooklyn Nets in the East with seven games remaining, so they’ll at least be in the Play-In Tournament. However, they can avoid the single-elimination tournament altogether by catching up to the Indiana Pacers or Orlando Magic in the standings.
The sixth-place Pacers are 42-33, 2.0 games ahead of the Sixers. The fifth-place Magic are 3.5 games ahead of Philly at 43-31. Both opponents have played well throughout the season, hence their position in the Eastern Conference standings. More to the point, neither the Pacers nor the Magic will make it easy for the 76ers to catch up.
Nonetheless, with Embiid back in tow, the Sixers will feel capable if not confident. The reigning NBA MVP, Embiid is averaging 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game this season. He’s also shooting 53.3 percent from the field, 36.6 percent from 3, and 51.0 percent on catch-and-shoot threes.
While his lengthy absence has disqualified him from earning end-of-season NBA Awards and all-league honors, Embiid was an early favorite to win the 2023-24 Most Valuable Player Award. That’s the caliber of player the Sixers are getting back at the most important point of the season.
