76ers Get Positive Joel Embiid Update Before Facing Nets

Joel Embiid was spotted getting shots up after the Philadelphia 76ers’ practice on Monday afternoon.

Shortly after the session took place, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse confirmed that Embiid was a participant as the team prepared for its Tuesday night matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. 

Joel Embiid and Paul George work after practice today #Sixers pic.twitter.com/waa6jVG81Q

Lately, Embiid has been off the court due to knee injury recovery and an illness. He has missed the 76ers’ previous two games against the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks.

Despite missing their star big man, the Sixers have fared well. On the road against the Knicks, the 76ers picked up a 116-107 victory. When they returned home the following night to face the Dallas Mavericks, the 76ers put the Western Conference hopefuls away with a 121-114 victory.

The last time the Sixers had Embiid on the floor was during their December 14 matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. At the time, the Sixers came up short with a 120-117 loss. Embiid checked in for 30 minutes for the third game in a row. He struggled with his shot, going 8-20 from the field, scoring 22 points.

The veteran big man logged a double-double by coming down with 14 rebounds, and also racked up one assist, one steal, and two blocks in the loss against Atlanta.

This season, Embiid is coming off a second knee surgery in under two years. He played in six of the first nine games for Philadelphia before missing nine matchups in a row throughout November. He returned to the court on November 30 and appeared in four of the next six games. 

So far, Embiid has appeared in 11 games for the Sixers this year. Seeing the court for 26 minutes per game, the big man has produced 20.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game. 

The 76ers are searching for their third win in a row against a struggling 8-19 Nets team on Tuesday. Embiid’s final status for the matchup is unclear, but the team can feel positive about his recent return to practice action.