The last time that we saw reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers on the court was on January 30th. Since that point, he has been sidelined with a balky knee that has been hampering him since the first few weeks of the season.
Embiid attempted to manage the injury and play through it, but things reached a head on that night against the Golden State Warriors. When he went tumbling to the floor, the team and their fans knew that a lengthy absence could soon follow.
Embiid has missed 29 straight games since that point, but that streak looks like it will be coming to an end this week. According to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Embiid is nearing a comeback.
That comeback could occur as early as Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 76ers host the Thunder that evening and it sounds like Embiid, who has been taking part in five-on-five scrimmages in recent days, will be out there with his teammates.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Joel Embiid & Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Embiid’s return could not be coming at a better time for the 76ers. With seven games remaining in the regular season, they still have a chance to play their way out of the NBA Play-In Tournament and earn a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference.
After hosting the Thunder on Tuesday, Philadelphia will embark on a three-game road trip. One stop on that trip is to face the Miami Heat, one of the teams who are currently ahead of them in the standings.
When they return back home, they will face another team ahead of them in the standings, the Orlando Magic. Outside of those two games, the 76ers won’t face another team at or above the .500 mark, as their rest of the season schedule is set up for them to go on a run and make up some ground.
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