The Philadelphia 76ers took the Atlanta Hawks to double overtime in their last game, but they were not able to get the win. It was the first time this season that the 76ers had Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid on the floor at the same time, but there were still some minute restrictions for some of them.
For Embiid, he has only played in seven games this season, and hasn't played since the beginning of November, as the team is still managing his right knee. Embiid has been a full participant in practice for some time, but he noted it isn't the same as getting live reps with his teammates.
Despite the loss, he's not upset because he's happy to just be on the floor, according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.
“When it was almost a month, and you only have two court sessions going up and down, it's going to be tough,” Embiid said. “It feels like the first game of the season. You build on it, and I'm not even mad about tonight, I'm just happy I got to play the game of basketball. Build on it and go from there next game, whether shots fall or not. I don't really judge myself based on shots falling. That's all about how I moved laterally, jumping, all that stuff. Tonight was a good step towards that.”
There's no doubt that Embiid wants to be out on the court helping him, but his health is much important at this point. If he has to skip a few games here and there to make sure he's good late in the season, that's what is just going to have to happen.
At the same time, that could affect the chemistry that he has with his teammates, especially if he's rarely available.
