Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid returned to practice on Tuesday, and is now expected to be available to play on Wednesday against the Miami Heat after sitting out for Sunday's 20-point loss to the Brooklyn Nets, according to Serena Winters of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Embiid was dealing with an upper respiratory illness, which forced him out of action against the Nets, as his team missed him dearly following a 38-point, 13-rebound, six-assist monster performance against the Boston Celtics on Thursday and a 24-11-5 line against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.

Embiid is slowly climbing out of an early-season slump, brought on by how involved he should be in a star-laden team that now boasts Al Horford as his frontcourt running mate.

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Ever since the Charles Barkley-Shaquille O'Neal rant following a Sixers win over the Denver Nuggets, Embiid has been determined to touch the ball more and be more aggressive, looking to dominate the same way he did last season.

The Sixers are four games back of the East-leading Milwaukee Bucks at 20-8, looking for any opportunity to close that deficit and obtain the top spot. The Bucks lost their first game in more than a month to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, giving Embiid and company a chance to inch closer to the top spot.

The 25-year-old Embiid is averaging 22.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game this season, playing in 22 of the 28 games his Sixers have played in this season.

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