Joel Embiid is expected to return to the Philadelphia 76ers for their game against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon, but he will be on a minutes restriction and will play in short bursts:
Embiid will probably play in four minute bursts, Brown said
— Bob Cooney (@BobCooney76) March 10, 2019
While this may seem extremely cautious, the Sixers clearly don’t want to rush Embiid — who has been out with knee soreness since the All-Star break — back into action too drastically.
Despite the worrying about his injury, the Sixers star center seems to be fine. A recent MRI on Embiid’s knee found no structural damage, and the team shutting him down for a few weeks seemed to be more precautionary than anything. With the Sixers having gone just 4-4 in his absence and facing a huge game with playoff implications against the Pacers, they figured it was time for Embiid to return.
Even though Embiid has had a history of injuries in the past, this season had been mostly spotless for him before this recent break. He has played in 54 of the Sixers’ games this year and averaged around 33 minutes per game. While he has been held out of some games for rest, it seems like Embiid’s history of injuries could finally be behind him, and the Sixers will need that if they want to have a chance in the playoffs.
Coming into Sunday's game, Embiid is averaging 27.3 points, 13.5 rebounds, and nearly two blocks per game, which are all high marks for his career. With Embiid playing as well as he is, the Sixers will need him on the court at all times if they want to have a shot in the Eastern Conference. With the Pacers still ahead of them in the standings, a win Sunday could go a long way in determining playoff seeding down the road.
Follow Us
Subscribe