76ers' Joel Embiid to Return from Ankle Injury vs. Bulls After Missing 4 Games
January 2, 2024
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is set to return on Tuesday after missing four games due to a right ankle sprain, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The reigning MVP has been the key to the 76ers' success this season, with the team going 2-2 over the four-game stretch without their big man. That included a disappointing loss to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, 105-92.
Embiid will look to avenge the defeat, as Philadelphia is set to face Chicago on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old looks poised to contend for the NBA's premier individual award once again, as his production has increased even more throughout the early portion of the 2023-24 season. Embiid is averaging a league-leading 35.0 points to go along with 11.7 rebounds per game, shooting 54 percent from the field and 35 percent from three. He currently holds the top spot in NBA.com's MVP ladder.
New head coach Nick Nurse has allowed the former No. 3 overall pick to operate as an initiator as well, leading to a career-high 6.0 assists per game for the six-time All-Star. The 76ers have gone 20-5 in the 25 games that he's started this year.
Embiid's active status shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as Nurse gave a positive update on the center after announcing that he would miss Saturday's matchup against Chicago.
"Very hopeful that he'll be ready for the next one," he said, via Pompey. "Barring anything happening between now and then, he'll be cleared to play."
Embiid has been dominant on both ends of the court since he earned his first All-Star nod during his 2017-18 campaign, although health issues have popped up throughout his time in the league which has hurt his availability. He missed the first two years of his career due to nagging foot issues and hasn't been able to record more than 68 games played in a full regular season.
Still, his return to the lineup should provide a boost to the rest of the starters and help the 76ers as they attempt to bounce back from their previous defeat at the hands of the Bulls.
