The Philadelphia 76ers produced an outstanding performance on Saturday, handily defeating the Los Angeles Lakers at the Wells Fargo Center, 108-91. What makes this even more impressive for the shorthanded Sixers is the fact that they defeated the best team in the West with two of their starters on the sidelines in Josh Richardson and Joel Embiid.
Recently, Embiid opened up about his hand injury and admitted he's hurrying back from it:
“I think usually this stuff takes a month to get back from,” Embiid said, via Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “It’s been two weeks. It can take longer, but I am not happy with where we are and just gotta keep praying and hoping it keeps getting better so I can get back out there with my guys.”
Embiid had to undergo surgery on Jan. 10 for the torn ligament he sustained in his left hand. While the Sixers announced that their star big man could return in a week or two, his admission that this kind of injury usually takes at least a month to recover from shows he's doing whatever he can to return to the court sooner.
Currently, the Sixers are 30-17 and battling for positioning in a tightly contested Eastern Conference playoff picture. Right now, only two games separate the second-place Miami Heat and the Sixers, who are currently ranked sixth.
Joel Embiid's frustration is understandable, but it's still interesting that he appears to be rushing back from this injury. The most important thing is for the Sixers big man to be healthy for the playoffs. However, if he's able to be effective with the special “cast” he's wearing on his hand and he can't make things worse, bringing him back in the next week might not be the worst thing in the world.
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