Joel Embiid provides an update on his health after extended absence

Joel Embiid’s first game action in the month of March came against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, but you wouldn’t have known it from the way he played.

Embiid came out blazing against Chicago despite missing Philadelphia’s previous 13 games due to a right oblique strain that he suffered in late February.

The former NBA MVP scored 15 points in the first six minutes of action en route to an impressive 35-point, 7-assist, 6- rebound performance. All of those stats were compiled in just 28 minutes, by the way, as Embiid didn’t play in the fourth quarter at all given the enormous lead the Sixers built.

The Sixers went on to beat Chicago 157-137, and after the game Embiid provided an update on his health and the areas that have plagued him as of late – his knees and his oblique.

“My knees haven’t been an issue for a long time. That’s past me,” Embiid said. “The oblique was very tricky, and it still is tricky. Really nothing you can do about it, gotta let it ride and hope it doesn’t get worse.”

Embiid detailed the pain that he’s dealing with as a result of the oblique injury and revealed that it’s likely something that he’ll have to manage for the rest of the season, at least.

"It’s really painful," Embiid said. "I don't know if you've ever had it. Really painful. Can't cough. Can’t sneeze. Every time you sneeze, it feels like you go right back to where you started. Still not where it’s supposed to be. We are the point where I don't think—maybe when the season is over, maybe it’s going to get better. But, yeah, it's really painful."

This story will be updated. 

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