Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid made his return to the starting lineup on Tuesday for the first time since January 30th as the Sixers faced off against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Embiid had been sidelined due to left meniscus surgery and is back with just seven games remaining in the regular season.
However, the Sixers were missing guard Tyrese Maxey, who was out with left hip tightness for the second consecutive game. The absence of Maxey, one of Embiid's key teammates, added to the challenges for Philadelphia in the matchup.
On the other side, the Thunder were without their own star players as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was sidelined with a quad injury and Jalen Williams was out due to an ankle issue. The absence of these key players impacted the Thunder's lineup and strategy for the game.
Prior to his injury, Joel Embiid was having a standout season, showcasing MVP-level performance on the court. He led the league in scoring with an impressive average of 35.3 points per game, in addition to contributing 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. His return to the lineup was eagerly anticipated by Sixers fans and basketball enthusiasts alike.
As the regular season winds down, Philadelphia finds themselves in the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference standings. They are currently 2½ games behind the Miami Heat, who hold the 7th seed, and 3½ games behind the Indiana Pacers, who occupy the 6th seed. The Sixers will look to make a final push in these remaining games to improve their playoff positioning and build momentum heading into the postseason.
