Joel Embiid is back. Can he give the East's playoff race a boost?
Joel Embiid's first game action for the Philadelphia 76ers in more than two months culminated in a game-winning stop: With less than 30 seconds left in a Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid returned to the team in a game against Oklahoma City Thunder, marking his first game in over two months for the team. Despite injuries to several key players, Embiigid's performance helped secure a 109-105 win for the 76ers. The victory energized the Eastern Conference playoff race, which has been lacking since Embiad's absence from the season. Despite a career average of 35.0 points, despite his absence, he is no longer eligible to win the MVP award, any NBA awards or his third consecutive scoring title. The 76ers’ quality of play has declined without their star center, falling from 14th to 22nd in offensive efficiency and 24th in defensive efficiency.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Matthew West in Sports
Joel Embiid’s first game action for the Philadelphia 76ers in more than two months culminated in a game-winning stop: With less than 30 seconds left in a one-possession game, he found Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey and reigning NBA MVP grabbed a rash crossover dribble and takeoff in transition. Embiid was fouled before he could finish the layup at the other end and hit two free throws to seal a 109-105 win Tuesday at Wells Fargo Center.
The contest between the 76ers and Thunder had less than perfect attendance: Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey (hip) and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (quad) and Jalen Williams (ankle) were sidelined with minor injuries. But those absences only brightened the spotlight on Embiid, who posted 24 points (on 6-for-14 shooting), seven assists, six rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes. His pickpocketing of Giddey at the end of the game brought the home crowd to its feet and, perhaps more importantly, energized the unforgettable final round of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
While the No. 1 seed Boston Celtics are sailing ahead of the competition and the No. 2 seed Milwaukee Bucks are still struggling following a midseason coaching change, the East’s landscape has been lacking juice since Embiid underwent surgery has to treat a lateral meniscus injury in his left knee in early February. The Cleveland Cavaliers, currently in third place, and the New York Knicks (fifth place) were hurt by injuries to Donovan Mitchell and Julius Randle, while the conference’s high number of cellar-dwellers meant there was no interest in the game would give -in tournament cut line. The Orlando Magic (fourth) got into the playoffs ahead of schedule and the Miami Heat (seventh), the reigning East champions, can never be counted out, but Embiid’s absence has deprived the conference of its biggest personality while seriously weakening one of its biggest threats to the Celtics and Bucks.
“I just wanted to come back,” Embiid said in a postgame interview with TNT. “I think that despite my level we have a chance. I’ll only get better. The [injury] was probably by far the hardest, especially mentally.”
When Embiid left on Jan. 30 against the Golden State Warriors, the 76ers were the No. 5 seed in the East, just two and a half games out of second place. After Tuesday’s win, they sit at No. 8, two games behind the sixth-place Indiana Pacers and on track for a play-in tournament berth. The 76ers’ quality of play declined without their franchise center: They fell from 14th to 22nd in offensive efficiency and from 12th to 24th in defensive efficiency while posting an 11-18 record. There’s been little to enjoy for Philadelphia fans lately, aside from a thrilling win in the team’s first game against James Harden since the disgruntled guard was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in October.
A slide in the standings was just one element of the injury sequence: Embiid missed so much time that, despite a career average of 35.0 points, he is no longer eligible to win the MVP award, any NBA awards or his third straight scoring title to win. He was also a spectator at the All-Star Game in February and during Philadelphia’s many trade deadlines and buyout market moves. Patrick Beverley and Marcus Morris are gone, replaced by Buddy Hield, Kyle Lowry and Cam Payne.
Tuesday’s win suggested that Embiid will have to put the final 11 days of the regular season to good use. Just minutes into the first quarter, he was already tugging at his shorts, a common sign of fatigue, and couldn’t find the right distance on his outside shot. Chemistry with his new teammates needs to be developed on the fly: He sailed a pass into the stands and tried to find Lowry on the cut to the basket, one of six turnovers on the night. Embiid’s stamina and perimeter defensive activity, both of which left something to be desired, should improve as he shakes off the rust.
“Where I thought [Embiid] really impressed [the game] “came late defensively,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said. “He looked pretty good because he hasn’t played for a few months, that’s for sure. …Normally I would say it will take a bit [for him to get up to speed], but I wouldn’t be surprised here if he’s ready to go in another game or two. He has lost some weight. He worked really hard to maintain his conditioning.”
Despite wearing a brace and a sleeve on his left knee, Embiid moved confidently and fluidly on offense and wasn’t afraid to make contact. His midrange jumper looked good at times, he regularly drew double teams and scored 12 goals at the free throw line, contributing to the 76ers’ comeback. Reintroducing Embiid’s broad skill set in a mix that includes Maxey’s dynamic attacking game, Tobias Harris’ complementary scoring, Hield’s floor-spacing abilities and Lowry’s veteran know-how makes Philadelphia infinitely more watchable and dangerous in the postseason.
Suddenly it’s worth watching the race for No. 6 between Indiana, Miami and Philadelphia. Philadelphia’s remaining schedule could help its cause: Four of its final six games are against lottery teams, and Thursday’s game against Miami will be crucial in the race for seeding. If the 76ers can get a road win, they will increase their chances of a guaranteed playoff spot or home-field advantage in a No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in game. If they lose, Philadelphia will likely finish as a No. 8 seed, meaning that it must play its first play-in game on the road before possibly a second play-in game against the No. 9 seed Chicago Bulls or No. 10 Atlanta Hawks.
The 76ers are 1-3 against the Celtics and 0-3 against the Bucks, so a late move up to No. 6 would be the dream scenario. If that doesn’t happen, Philadelphia should hope to meet Indiana in the play-in tournament and Milwaukee in the first round. The Pacers rank 24th in defensive efficiency and don’t have good options inside to counter Embiid; The Heat eliminated the 76ers from the 2022 playoffs and feature All-Star center Bam Adebayo.
Meanwhile, the Celtics rank first in offense, third in defense and first in point differential this season, and they have a strong and experienced frontcourt rotation to throw at Embiid. Boston eliminated Philadelphia in the 2018, 2020 and 2023 playoffs, winning 12 of 15 games with Embiid on the court in those series. Let’s not forget: A first-round showdown between new Bucks coach Doc Rivers and his former team, the 76ers, would cause major drama.
Embiid’s injury comes with at least two blessings. He should be largely free of the inflated expectations that have blighted the 76ers in recent years, and he should be relatively fresh considering he has played fewer than 1,200 minutes this season. The prevailing narratives about Embiid’s inability to lead a team to the Eastern Conference Finals — that Philadelphia can’t handle the pressure and that ongoing injury problems and increasing fatigue will ultimately sabotage his superstar’s performance — may not hold true this year. Given the challenging circumstances, Embiid and the 76ers are best qualified as spoilsports, and an early exit from the play-in tournament or first round shouldn’t inspire the same vitriol as their infamous second-round collapses of the past.
For once, Embiid enters the postseason without much to lose.
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