In the fourth quarter of the Philadelphia 76ers’ loss to the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 30, Joel Embiid tore his meniscus in his left knee when Jonathan Kuminga landed atop it during a chase for a loose ball. The team eventually determined that he needed surgery to repair the issue, and initially, it was unclear when or if he would return this season.
That question was answered last Tuesday when Embiid returned to the court for the Sixers’ matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the end, he missed just over two months, during which time the Sixers went 11-18 and fell from fifth place in the Eastern Conference to eighth.
Embiid put up 24 points, six rebounds and seven assists in 30 minutes in his first game back to help the Sixers take down the Thunder. He then followed it up with 29 points, four rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes in the Sixers’ crucial win over the Heat. All of a sudden, the city of Philadelphia suddenly has hope again.
With Embiid back in action and the postseason fast approaching, CBS Sports’ experts got together to discuss the reigning MVP’s return and what that means for the Sixers’ playoff hopes.
What are your initial thoughts on how Embiid has looked in these first two outings?
Brad Botkin: I’m not sure how much more the Sixers could’ve expected from Embiid after two months off. He got to the free-throw line 12 times in his first game back, picking up right where he left off, then he had 29 points in 29 minutes as Philly scored a massive win over the Heat on Thursday to move within one game of a top-six seed. He has looked winded, naturally, but he’s not far away. The 3s fell on Thursday. The face-up jumper is clean. He’s hitting foul-line runners for crying out loud. Again, I’m not sure the Sixers could’ve hoped for anything more than this.
Jack Maloney: I would agree with Brad that Embiid looks about as good as he and the Sixers could have hoped, considering the circumstances. This is certainly not the same world-destroying player we saw early in the season, but his presence alone…
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