After a long wait of 237 days, the Philadelphia 76ers’ court was graced by the presence of their center, Joel Embiid on Friday night. His return was not just a game, but a moment of anticipation and excitement for the upcoming season.
In 19 minutes of action, Embiid, who had been battling a left knee injury, had 14 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and three steals, as the 76ers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-110 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in their preseason finale.
The 31-year-old Embiid, who last played a regular-season game on February 22, looked leaner and moved around pretty well on the court. He did a decent job distributing the ball, protecting the rim, and scoring.
He’s battled injuries throughout his career and most of the last two seasons and played only 19 games in 2025; however, according to Embiid, he’s in a good place now.
“I’m just in a good space mentally and physically,” Embiid said after the win. “First of all, I’m just happy to touch a basketball and be able to play basketball and do what I love. When you don’t get that, it’s tough, but that’s what I’m most happy about.”
Recently, The Ringer came up with its top 100 players in the NBA. That list did not feature Embiid, and he mentioned not being on it.
“According to a lot of your peers(the media), I’m not even a top 100 basketball player in this league,” he said. “So, I guess I just gotta fit in and see where I can help the team win basketball games.”
With a healthy Embiid on the court, the 76ers are not just a team, but a force to be reckoned with in the NBA. Their potential, especially in the wide-open Eastern Conference, is a reason for optimism and hope. It’s the first game of many, and hopefully, Embiid’s body will be able to handle a full NBA season.
The 76ers have an elite point guard in Tyrese Maxey, who had 27 points in 30 minutes of action last night. Of course, if he can stay healthy, nine-time All-Star Paul George can still play. In addition, rookie VJ Edgecombe, who scored 26 points on Friday, and Quentin Grimes will help. Again, anything is possible, but without a healthy Embiid, winning at a high level won’t be possible.
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