On Friday evening, Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers hit the hardwood at home for an important late-season game vs the Orlando Magic. The contest marked another opportunity for Embiid to get back into a rhythm after recently returning to the lineup following a meniscus injury sustained in late January, which caused him to miss significant time and the 76ers to flounder in the standings as a result.

On Friday, a scare was sent through the Wells Fargo Center when Embiid went back to the locker room after his knee appeared to buckle during a play late in the second quarter.

However, it appears that the halftime break did wonders for Embiid courtesy of a report from NBA insider Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

ā€œJoel Embiid walks back onto the court with a minute to go before the end of halftime here in Philly to a big ovation from the fans here, and appears to be warming up to return to the game,ā€ reported Bontemps on his account on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter.

An important postseason for the 76ers

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
76ers' Joel Embiid

Sam DiGiovanni Ā·

Knicks Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson grabbing offensive rebounds or boxing out and 76ers' Joel Embiid with an expletive box over his mouth, as if heā€™s being censored for cursing.

Drew Maresca Ā·

76ers Knicks prediction

Garrett Kerman Ā·

The game on Friday for the 76ers marked their second to last contest of the season before the NBA postseason begins. While not technically locked into their spot yet, it is more than likely that the 76ers will be participating in this year's Play-In tournament, probably against the Miami Heat, with the winner taking the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, and the loser getting one more chance to stave off elimination vs either the Atlanta Hawks or the Chicago Bulls.

Of course, assuming that Embiid's injury on Friday was nothing serious, the team that will be playing next week will look a lot different than the one that free falled down the Eastern Conference playoff picture during the months of February and March, as Embiid looked on track to win his second straight MVP award for the 76ers prior to the injury.

In any case, the 76ers will finish out their regular season slate on Sunday afternoon at home vs the Brooklyn Nets.