The Philadelphia 76ers are jostling for position in the Eastern Conference to try and avoid the NBA Play-In Tournament. On Monday, they took a step toward achieving that, picking up a massive victory over the Miami Heat, 98-91.
That victory, coupled with the Indiana Pacers losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers, pushed the 76ers back into the sixth spot, outside of the NBA Play-In Tournament. Alas, there is plenty of work to do, as they remain only a half-game ahead of seventh place.
The victory wasn’t the only piece of good news for the 76ers in recent days. Head coach Nick Nurse provided an update on the status of reigning NBA MVP, Joel Embiid, who was present and taking part in some of the team’s practice on Sunday.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Joel Embiid, Nick Nurse, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
“Joel was here today, yep. He was on the court. He went through a little bit of the practice,” Nurse said, via Ky Carter of Sixers Wire. “All non-contact stuff. He’s lifting weights right now. No timeline for his return.”
Being able to participate in any capacity is a step in the right direction for Embiid, who is dealing with a knee injury. The last time we saw him on the court with the 76ers was on January 30th against the Golden State Warriors.
Without him in the lineup, the 76ers have been struggling to stay afloat. Philadelphia is 26-8, which was one of the best records in the NBA, with Embiid in the lineup but they are only 12-20 without him on the court.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Joel Embiid, Nick Nurse, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Getting him back in any capacity would provide the team with a huge spark. While he would likely have limited time to build up chemistry and cohesion with some of the new pieces of the rotation, just having him in the mix would make life easier for all of his teammates.
Before the injuries, Embiid was having another MVP-caliber season. He was leading the NBA with 35.3 points per game, adding 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks in 34 minutes per game.
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