76ers' Joel Embiid Scores 24, Gets Praise from NBA Fans in Injury Return vs. Thunder

Welcome back, Joel Embiid.

The Philadelphia 76ers superstar center returned from his two-month layoff due to a knee injury on Tuesday night and looked primed for a potential playoff run, posting 24 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals across 29 minutes during Philly's 109-105 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Kelly Oubre Jr. led all scorers with 25 points, but this was Embiid's night.

It was an impressive display from the defending MVP, who was clearly gassed late in the fourth quarter but came up with several key plays on both ends of the court to seal the win.

It will take Embiid some time to get back into full playing shape, but for a Sixers team that has absolutely floundered without him, his presence in the lineup—especially because he looked to be spry and healthy against the Thunder—was huge.

And fans and pundits alike were happy to see him back:

The Sixers are now 27-8 when Embiid plays this season, and the team isn't back to full strength yet, as the trio of Tyrese Maxey, De'Anthony Melton and Robert Covington all missed Tuesday's game.

A healthy Sixers team has a chance to make some noise in the playoffs should they qualify. At 41-35, Philly still sits two games back of the Indiana Pacers in the race for the sixth seed and one game behind the Miami Heat, and likely will need to advance out of the Play-In Tournament to earn a postseason berth.

The return of Embiid makes them far more likely to do just that. It was quite the night in Philly, as Embiid's return coincided with Bryce Harper hitting three home runs—including a grand slam—for the Philadelphia Phillies.

To paraphrase the great Stringer Bell—put the word out there that Philly sports back up.