Philly fans gripped the person next to them when Joel Embiid left the action with 1:15 left in the opening half. The center, in just his fifth game in a return from meniscus surgery, seemed to have hurt his knee. Embiid hit the floor following a euro-step, landing awkwardly. While he ran across the floor to get past it, the pain was too much for the center to proceed.

Luckily, Joel Embiid returned to the court after halftime, ending the narratives about another knee injury. Regardless, head coach Nick Nurse decided to provide insider details to the fans, who had been cheering for Joel’s success all season. The coach claims that Joel Embiid tweaked his knee during the initial stretch. Due to that, despite being given a green light to play, he will be reevaluated tomorrow.

Embiid hit the net on his first shot of the second half and the fans worries were finally put to rest. Moreover, the center shot 4-7 from the three, culminating into a 32 point and 13 rebound double double. The Philadelphia 76ers not only swept the Paolo Banchero led Orlando Magic for the season series, they also climbed a spot up in the conference table. They are currently seeded 6th, in a tie with Orlando and the Indiana Pacers.

Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. picked up their share of offense and Embiid could rest out most of the 4th quarter. Maxey scored 28 points, while Oubre posted 21 points and 9 rebounds. However, if the 76ers want to make a deep playoff run this year, they need Joel more than anyone in the roster. The 7 time all-star singlehandedly lifts the franchise’s fate, as his absence this season has not fared well for the Sixers.

76ers’ record without Joel Embiid this season

In the recent game against the San Antonio Spurs, the 76ers managed to emerge victorious without Joel Embiid. Tyrese Maxey scored 52 points in the contested 2OT thriller. However, it is just one of the 15 wins they have without Embiid this season, alongside the 27 losses.

While the 76ers manage to pick up the rebounding slack without Embiid, they evidently miss his skills on the court. The most damage they face in Embiid’s absence is in scoring. They average less than 110 points per game without Embiid, compared to 120.7 when he’s on the floor. More than Joel’s efficient shooting, the discrepancy comes from his ability to get to the charity stripes. Philly records nearly 9 less free-throw attempts per game in Embiid’s absence. Behind that, when playing without the star, they rank a winning percentage akin to the bottom-5 teams in the league.

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It is safe to assume that Philly is only a contender with a healthy Embiid in the lineup. Now, with the heightened intensity the post-season brings, how well can they perform with Embiid on his resting minutes in a game? Moreover, how much can Embiid carry the offensive and defensive load of the squad?