Embiid totaled 14 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, and three steals in nearly 19 minutes of a 126-110 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Sixers' preseason finale Friday night.
The moment it hit Joel Embiid that he was back on an NBA floor, playing against an opponent? When he launched a "terrible shot" that barely grazed the rim seven seconds into the 76ers' preseason finale Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"I don't know what I was doing," Embiid said after the game. " ... I actually thought I made it, and it wasn't even close."
That was perhaps the most noticeable rust Embiid needed to shed during his first game-like action since February, when another knee surgery squashed a frustrating 2024-25 season. He went on to total 14 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, and three steals in nearly 19 minutes of a 126-110 victory over a Minnesota team that rested most of its rotation after playing the previous night.
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Opponent makeup aside, it was still a notable step in Embiid's recovery -- and the latest sign that he could be ready for Wednesday's regular-season opener at the Boston Celtics.
"First of all, I'm just happy to touch a basketball and be able to play basketball and do what I love," Embiid said. "When you don't get that, it's tough. But that's what I'm most happy about. Tonight, that's all I kept thinking about.
"I'm on the court playing basketball. Doing some good things. Helping us win. That's really what I was focused on."
Nurse's evaluation of Embiid's performance was concise: "Moved good. Played good. Shot it good. Passed it good."
Embiid also hit the medical staff's minutes target after earnestly building toward Friday, a day made more significant than usual following ongoing knee issues derailed parts of the previous two seasons. He has been practicing regularly during the preseason, and made a surprise appearance during last Sunday's scrimmage at the Blue Coats' facility in Delaware.
Embiid downplayed his eagerness once officially cleared to play Friday, which the Sixers announced after their morning shootaround.
He spent time with his family in the afternoon, then took a nap before returning to Xfinity Mobile Arena. He watched F1 racing on his cellphone in the locker room while preparing for his 6:15 p.m. pregame warm-up. He shifted from shooting free throws, to face-up jumpers, to around-the-world three-pointers, with one early-arriving spectator hollering, "Come on, Joel!" as he moved into the right corner.
But when star point guard Tyrese Maxey -- who is Embiid's longest-tenured teammate and one of his close friends -- asked the big man about his emotions before heading back onto the floor, Embiid responded with, "Man, I'm so excited."
"The biggest thing that I felt was his joy," Maxey added after the game, "and just how happy he was to be out there -- and [how] happy I was for him to be out there."
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"Terrible" first attempt aside, Nurse was particularly impressed with Embiid's efficient 5-of-10 shooting mark following such a long layoff. Embiid, meanwhile, was most pleased with his assist total, reiterating that "the way I've always wanted to play is everybody touching the ball."
And how Embiid's presence makes basketball life easier for his teammates peppered the game action and box score.
It opened a lane for electric rookie VJ Edgecombe to crash the glass and score his first basket in his new home arena on a putback, igniting a 26-point outburst. Quentin Grimes, who got virtually zero experience playing with Embiid after he joined the Sixers at last season's trade deadline, explored some two-man actions during his 19-point outing. Maxey, a proven Embiid partner, amassed 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting and seven assists. Fellow big man Adem Bona started alongside Embiid, a look that provides stout rim protection.
Nurse also cast Embiid in the role of inbound passer, which yielded multiple buckets. And Embiid was a willing participant in the Sixers' effort to push the pace with a more athletic roster, going coast-to-coast for one bucket and kicking ahead multiple outlet passes after a steal or rebound.
"In a way, that also kind of saves me," Embiid said. "Because if we get early baskets and easy baskets, I don't have to run up and down. ... And if we don't have anything, I've always trailed anyway in my career. Then, I can come in and we can get into the offense."
Embiid's night also ended with a slight injury scare about midway through the third quarter, when he hit the deck while driving hard enough to be called for an offensive foul. He briefly grabbed the knee while laying on the floor, and it moved awkwardly as he rose to his feet. But he remained in the game for about one more minute, then received treatment in the locker room. His knee was heavily wrapped in ice when he arrived in the media room for his postgame news conference.
That is why any optimism about Embiid's long-term health outlook remains tempered. How the knee reacts Saturday -- and after every game and practice -- is crucial. Embiid reiterated that the medical staff will "take that slow approach" and that he will "do whatever they tell me to do."
So he would not overhype his preseason return. But it was another positive step in his recovery.
"Just the fact that I was on the court, somewhat comfortable," Embiid said, "that was enough for me."