The Philadelphia 76ers would have been nowhere near the play-in tournament if not for the injury of Joel Embiid. Philly was 29-16 in the Eastern Conference sitting comfortably as the third-seeded team during Embiid’s dominance. The meniscus injury he sustained in the Warriors matchup on January 30 sidelined him for 29 games. Needless to say, that period was difficult. The team went 11-18 and what was an automatic playoff berth turned out to be a fight for a place in the play-in. But after Embiid’s return, they haven’t lost a single game (7-0).

Although he had that scary fall in the second quarter during the Orlando Magic matchup, the 7-footer returned to finish the night on a double-double (32-13). He hadn’t suited up for the final night of the regular season, but Coach Nurse said that it was more of a precautionary measure than anything else. And now, ahead of the 7-8 matchup with Miami, we get a positive update from teammate Kelly Oubre Jr.

76ers beat writer, Keith Pompey tweeted, “He looked normal. He looked like himself. But you could definitely tell the seriousness in his face, in his work ethic, and everything he’s doing in the way he’s carrying himself. He wants to win, so it’s good to see him moving, doing his thing.” He also mentioned that Nick Nurse was “hopeful” about Joel Embiid as the Wells Fargo Center gets ready for an epic matchup.

The tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET on Wednesday, April 17. The season series is tied at 2-2. But fans were disappointed because both Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler were favorites of injuries this season. The only game where the pair played, the Sixers won. But it was Tyrese Maxey and his almost triple-double that took the win that night.

Despite the absences and injuries, Embiid took off right from where he left off.

Joel Embiid stats

Joel Embiid is averaging some of the best numbers of his career this season. He has career bests in points (34.7), assists (5.6), free throw percentage (88.3), and three-point percentage (38.8). And these numbers are from just the 39 games he played this season. Starting the season on a high note, the 7x All-Star was well on his way to clinching the MVP this year too.

In the 33 games he played before he was sidelined, Embiid had 36.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. It’s clear that he was aiming for a championship season. Joel’s numbers since his return clarify things even further. 30.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in 30.5 minutes per game. The impact of Oubre’s words makes all the more sense now – “seriousness in his face, his work ethic, and everything he’s doing”.

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After all, the Sixers haven’t gone past the second round of the playoffs in the last six seasons. Meanwhile, the Heat battled all the way from play-in to the NBA Finals only to lose to Denver last season. With Joel Embiid gunning for his first ring and a diverse portfolio of a support cast like Tyrese Maxey, Oubre Jr., and Tobias Harris, it would be quite a clash!