After missing much of February with a shin injury and knee load management, Joel Embiid made his post-All-Star break return for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Indiana Pacers, where he scored 27 points in 26 minutes on the way to a 21-point victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Did Embiid look 100 percent back to his MVP form? No, he looked like someone who hadn't played in a basketball game since February 7, but even if it took him a step or two longer to get up and down the court, he still gave Jay Huff and company fits at both ends of the court.
One fan who was particularly impressed with Embiid's return? Former Villanova Wildcats basketball head coach Jay Wright, who took to social media to celebrate “The Process” for his efficiency and intensity on the court.
“Incredible talent to be out for so long and come back with efficiency and intensity!!” Wright wrote. “A unique talent Joel Embiid, Sixers.”
Incredible talent to be out for so long and come back with efficiency and intensity!! A unique talent @JoelEmbiid @sixers. https://t.co/rLfnPiLWRK
— Jay Wright (@CoachJayWright) February 25, 2026
The most successful basketball coach in the greater Philadelphia area this century, Wright has been the apple of 76ers fans' eyes ever since his first National Championship win on the Main Line, with his 2022 retirement leaving many to believe he would make the jump to the pro level for the first time in his storied career. While so far, that jump hasn't happened, the fact that Wright remains a fan of the 76ers has fans in the comments section begging him to get back on the bench in place of Nick Nurse, where he could unlock the “efficiency and intensity” of Embiid.
Will it happen? Only time will tell, but if Embiid keeps playing like his efforts against the Pacers, the 76ers might be able to get a banner of their own before “The Process” joins Wright in retirement.


















