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The Philadelphia 76ers have not yet cleared Joel Embiid to return from his sinus fracture. However, the big man has been able to participate in practice and doesn’t appear to be too far away from jumping back into the lineup.
Backup center Andre Drummond, while making it clear he doesn’t intend to speak for Embiid or the team, said that he came away impressed with how he looked in five-on-five scrimmages and said that he wore a mask. Embiid's re-evaluation isn’t scheduled for a few more days but he appears to be making progress.
Sixers center Andre Drummond said Joel Embiid looked good at practice the past two days.
On Monday, the team said Joel will be re-evaluated in approximately a week. The next official injury report will be released later today. @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/PyNsdpmNHg
— Dave Uram (@MrUram) December 19, 2024
“He looked fine in practice the past two days,” Drummond said following the team's practice. “He's a grown man so whatever he decides to do, it's on him. I'm just saying he looks ready to play to me, so that’s why I said it…Obviously, it's up to him if he feels comfortable going out there. But he looked fine to me. He's been moving around, he wore his mask. Whatever the team doctors say for tomorrow, I didn’t say it here first.”
Joel Embiid participating in 76ers' practice amid injury recovery
On top of managing the recovery of his left knee, Embiid is recovering from yet another facial injury. It seems like the Phantom of the Process will return to court when the big man is cleared.
Embiid has played with a mask in games before, most recently in the second round of the 2022 Playoffs after suffering a fractured orbital bone. It was the second time he suffered that injury in the NBA and played through it in the postseason, the first of which occurred in 2018. There was also last year's playoffs, where Embiid played through Bell's Palsy and a recently repaired knee. He may get injured often but he’s always looking to return as soon as he can.
While Embiid's status for the 76ers' home game on Friday against the Charlotte Hornets remains up in the air, Caleb Martin (right shoulder impingement) and Adem Bona (left knee tendinopathy) could also be reactivated after participating in recent practices. Nick Nurse said that there is still a “question on their availability,” per Josh Grieb of Liberty Ballers.
