On Tuesday night, Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed 25 points, with 17 of them coming in the fourth quarter, while Joel Embiid, returning to the lineup, added 24 points. Their efforts propelled the Philadelphia 76ers to a 109-105 win over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder. The win by the defending Eastern Conference champion Sixers was their third straight and gave them a one-game lead over the Brooklyn Nets for eighth place in the league’s Eastern Conference standings with seven games remaining this season. The game also went under the set over/under, meaning those who wagered on Philly got a nice payout.
Embiid’s long-awaited return to the lineup was an often impressive and always inspiring 29-minute outing that energized the 76ers and the Wells Fargo Center crowd. The reigning MVP was rusty and ineffective at times, but he was a constant presence in the paint and brought a renewed sense of urgency to a team that had lacked it for two months.
His most impactful play came in the final minute of the second half when Philadelphia led by a point. Matched up at the elbow with Thunder wing Josh Giddey, Embiid snatched an ill-advised crossover dribble, stripped the ball, and started a one-man fast break. He was fouled on the play and converted a pair of free throws to help ice the win.
The flurry of activity around the Sixers has been understandable: They entered the game eighth in the East and are in danger of missing out on a playoff berth altogether without an impressive finish to the regular season. And while Embiid’s return was a welcome sight, it will take time for him and his teammates to reacclimate to the physicality of the NBA game.
Embiid has never had to deal with a layoff as challenging as the one he suffered on Jan. 30. He was in the midst of one of the most remarkable seasons in the history of an individual franchise when he tore his left meniscus. He led the league in scoring 35.3 points per game, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists before his injury. The Sixers will be a better team with him in the lineup, but they must avoid the play-in tournament. That means not rushing him and ensuring he’s healthy and ready for the playoffs. It’s not an impossible task, but it’s a tall order. The flurry of activity around the Sixers and adding a player as talented as Embiid will make them a much more dangerous team in the postseason. And while there are pitfalls to their path to the top, the road ahead looks bright.
