The Philadelphia 76ers had Joel Embiid tonight to take on the youngest and the top-seeded West team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. And they came out with flying colors as they defeated Chet Holmgren and Co. 109-105 at the Wells Fargo Center. There’s no doubt that the Philly home crowd was bursting with joy to see their very own Sixers on the winning end after a tough period lately.

Hilariously enough, tonight’s leading scorer Kelly Oubre Jr. had quite the take on Embiid’s return. He said, “My heart dropped, because I was scared for the other team.” Oubre wasn’t the only one who had something to say about Joel Embiid’s return. Teammates Cam Payne and Tobias Harris were quite excited about the big man’s return. Payne said that the fans were “rocking,” and Embiid just came forward and did his thing and got the team a win. Harris also talked along similar lines.

He even had a slight smile when mentioning the feverish crowd at the Wells Fargo Center. But in the end, the team got the victory they needed. And they couldn’t be happier. Harris and Payne were brilliant for the night. The second quarter saw both of them knock down crucial shots to let Philly stay afloat.

The third-best scorer on the team tonight, Tobias finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists on 62.5% shooting downtown. Cam, on the other hand, had a double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting 36.4% from the field – his first of the season and ninth of his career.

Despite it all, the reigning MVP was honest about his fears of taking the floor after the 29-game absence.

Joel Embiid admits the injury took its toll on him mentally

Embiid had no qualms confessing post-game that this meniscus injury was by far the hardest he had to face. He said,“Took a toll, mentally … This [injury] was probably the hardest by far, you know especially mentally.”

And why wouldn’t it be? The big man was on fire since the start of the season and for it to come near crashing down is a position no one wants to be in at this point. The 7x All-Star is averaging 35.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.2 steals in 35 games – some of the best numbers of his career.

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But it’s not just Embiid who suffers. Philly is 27-8 with him on the floor, with an average of 121.0 points per game this season. And without him, they drop down to 108.6 with a 14-27 record. What should have been an astounding season with his brilliant 70-point game and consistent 30s, simply fizzled out. That’s enough to give anyone a serious headache. Imagine what the 30-year-old reigning MVP and face of the franchise must be going through!

Joel Embiid Marks Return From Injury As Cornerstone Of $9.40 Billion Brand