Joel Embiid Has 76ers Fans Worried with 1st Half Struggles vs. Steph Curry, Warriors
Philadelphia 76ers center and reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid returned to the court Tuesday at the Golden State Warriors after missing two games due to left knee soreness.
Simply put, the big man did not look right upon his return.
In the first half, Embiid scored just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting alongside four turnovers. Embiid, who typically plays the entire first quarter, left with 2:16 in that frame and went back to the locker room. He later returned and subbed in with 7:07 left in the first half but still didn't look right.
Embiid entered this game averaging an NBA-high 36.0 points per game, 11.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists. He's only eight days removed from dropping a career-high 70 points on the San Antonio Spurs.
But it's clear that the left knee is bothering him, to the point where people were legitimately concerned and wondered if he should be playing at all.
The reaction is in stark contrast to how some felt on Saturday, when Embiid was set to face superstar big man and reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokić in a road matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
Embiid was a late scratch after pregame warmups, and that one-on-one matchup in Denver did not happen. He then notably caught a lot of criticism from fans and analysts afterward for not playing in the game, a 111-105 loss, with some saying he was "ducking" Jokić.
But the center then sat the 76ers' 130-104 road matchup at the Portland Trail Blazers. He returned against Stephen Curry and the Warriors, but it's fair to wonder if he should have sat this one as well.
As for what's next, the 76ers have one more game in this Western Conference road swing, a Thursday matchup at the Utah Jazz. Philadelphia will then return home for a four-game set between Feb. 3-9.
