The Philadelphia 76ers have struggled to string together wins since Joel Embiid went down with a knee injury, but help is finally on the way.
Embiid is nearing his return from a left knee injury and expected to play this week, according to multiple reports. Shams Charania of The Athletic says the reigning MVP has taken part in 5-on-5 scrimmages in recent days and could play in Tuesday’s home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
76ers star Joel Embiid is nearing comeback as soon as Tuesday's home game vs. OKC Thunder, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The reigning NBA MVP has positively completed multiple five-on-five scrimmage sessions in recent days. pic.twitter.com/IUGW23995l
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 1, 2024
Embiid has not played since Jan. 30 due to a meniscus injury in his left knee. He underwent a surgical procedure and the hope was that he would return by late-March, so that timeline seems like it was fairly accurate.
The 76ers have gone 11-18 since losing Embiid. They entered Monday with a record of 40-35 and in 8th place in the Eastern Conference. Unless they can somehow climb to 6th place or better over the final seven games of the season, they will be part of the play-in tournament, which begins on April 16.
Embiid was having another MVP-caliber season before he was sidelined. He is averaging a career-high 35.3 points per game. Embiid indicated about a month ago that he wanted to get back on the court before the playoffs, and he is close to accomplishing that goal.
