Push Admin

NBA: Embiid return inspires Sixers over Thunder

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1712114362338joel-embiid-01102024.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Joel Embiid. <em>Credit: </em><em id="isPasted">Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</em></span></span></span></div><p>LOS ANGELES - Joel Embiid made a dazzling return from a two-month injury layoff to inspire the Philadelphia 76ers to an upset 109-105 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.</p><p>The NBA&#x27;s reigning Most Valuable Player was a surprise late inclusion in the Sixers&#x27; starting line-up at the Wells Fargo Center, returning to the hardwood after suffering a knee injury in a defeat to Golden State on January 30.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/4/3/-i-m-back-sixers-embiid-to-return-against-thunder-806">&#x27;I&#x27;m back&#x27;: Sixers Embiid to return against Thunder</a></div><p>In Embiid&#x27;s absence the Sixers&#x27; season has been in freefall, plunging into the play-in positions in the Eastern Conference rather than the automatic postseason spots.</p><p>The 30-year-old&#x27;s return Tuesday suggested the Sixers may yet be capable of upsetting the form book heading into the playoffs after battling past the Western Conference-leading Thunder.</p><p>Embiid, who finished with 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds after logging nearly 30 minutes of game time, was visibly exhausted after dragging the Sixers over the line.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:498px;height:595px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1775350858588242054&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fnews-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Anews-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2024-04-03T04%3A00%3A43.789873%3A37c13f3a-d8a4-4fc3-adab-50a2cc9ae1c7%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=75253d09222e4255fa1c321f46b5a7fce921587a&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1775350858588242054"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>&quot;Not good,&quot; Embiid replied when asked how he felt following the victory. &quot;But I&#x27;m glad we got through it and we got the win.&quot;</p><p>Embiid said his rehabilitation from a torn left meniscus had been one of the most challenging injury layoffs of his career.</p><p>&quot;Usually when I get hurt I just move on to the next one. This one took a toll mentally,&quot; said Embiid, who wore a large brace on his heavily strapped left knee.</p><p>&quot;I just wanted to come back. I&#x27;m only going to get better but this one has been the hardest by far, especially mentally,&quot; he added.</p><p>Oklahoma City led for most of the game and looked to be on course for victory after opening up a 13-point lead early in the second half.</p><p>However a fourth-quarter rally from the Sixers -- outscoring their short-handed opponents 36-25 -- swung the game decisively back in favor of the home team.</p><p>Two Embiid free throws put Philadelphia ahead 106-105 with 38 seconds remaining, and Embiid then made a crucial steal before drawing a foul which sent him back to the free throw line to put the Sixers up 108-105.</p><p>Tobias Harris then made a late free throw to seal the win.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:897px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1775346297689567403&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fnews-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Anews-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2024-04-03T04%3A00%3A43.789873%3A37c13f3a-d8a4-4fc3-adab-50a2cc9ae1c7%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=75253d09222e4255fa1c321f46b5a7fce921587a&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1775346297689567403"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><strong>BUCKS STUMBLE</strong></div><p>The Milwaukee Bucks were stunned 117-113 on the road by the lowly Washington Wizards.</p><p>Corey Kispert was the hero for Washington, finishing with 27 points from 10-of-18 shooting from the field to secure only the 15th win of the season for the Wizards.</p><p>Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 35 points but it was not enough to prevent the Bucks sliding to a defeat that left coach Doc Rivers questioning his team&#x27;s durability away from home.</p><p>&quot;I&#x27;ve been sitting back and watching everything -- not just our players, but our travel crew, everything,&quot; Rivers said.</p><p>&quot;We don&#x27;t bring the necessary professionalism and seriousness on the road. That&#x27;s something we can fix, and it&#x27;s something we&#x27;re going to have to fix,&quot; Rivers added. &quot;We&#x27;ve got to be a better road team.&quot;</p><p>The Wizards&#x27; next opponents will be the Los Angeles Lakers, who continued their successful road trip with a 128-111 defeat of the Toronto Raptors.</p><p>LeBron James finished with 23 points while Anthony Davis had 21.</p><p>The Lakers had the luxury of being able to rest both men for most of the fourth quarter with victory all but assured.</p><p>&quot;Today we got an opportunity to bump up the lead in the third and early in the fourth and that allowed us to shut down,&quot; James said.</p><p>In Miami, Terry Rozier&#x27;s 34-point display helped the Heat to a 109-99 defeat of the in-form New York Knicks to keep Miami firmly in the hunt for a playoff place.</p><p>The Heat are 42-33, one place behind Indiana in the Eastern Conference. Indiana occupy the last of the automatic postseason spots with a 43-33 record.</p><div><strong>rcw/pst</strong></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>Joel Embiid made a dazzling return from a two-month injury layoff to inspire the Philadelphia 76ers to an upset 109-105 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.</p>

Joel Embiid made a dazzling return from a two-month injury layoff to inspire the Philadelphia 76ers to an upset 109-105 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.