Joel Embiid has been a much-missed asset to the Philadelphia 76ers’ lineup since Monday, Jan. 6, when he tore ligaments in his left ringer finger.
At the moment of the injury, it was thought to be just a dislocation, so Sixers training staff taped Embiid’s fingers and sent him back out onto the court where he finished the game with 18 points and eight rebounds in a win against the Thunder. However, upon further examination, it was discovered that Embiid actually had torn a ligament and would miss significant playing time.
After missing the previous nine games, Embiid returned on Tuesday night and didn’t miss a beat, Embiid looked as comfortable as ever, scoring 24 points and securing 10 boards in a Philadelphia victory over Golden State. Over the nine games that Embiid had missed, the 76ers stayed afloat with a 6-3 record but were taking a lot of damage from opposing big men in the paint.
Al Horford surely is a veteran defensive presence in the post, but he isn’t to the dominating level of Embiid. The 76ers were also faced with the loss of starting shooting guard, Josh Richardson, after he strained his left hamstring during a game against Toronto last Wednesday night. It seemed to be quite perfect timing for the return of Embiid.
In last night’s 115-104 win over the Warriors, it truly seemed like a full team effort on both ends. Along with Embiid’s 24 points, Ben Simmons added 17 of his own, Raul Neto came off the bench with a surprising 19 points, and Al Horford played the role of the distributor with a team-leading eight assists.
It is noteworthy to mention that Joel Embiid wore a No. 24 jersey in honor of Kobe Bryant. For Embiid’s final points of the game, he hit a vintage Kobe-style fadeaway from the baseline with a big smile
