76ers' Joel Embiid: 'I Probably Need to Fix' Knee Injury to Regain 'Dominant' Form

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid continues to acknowledge he will likely need another surgery on his knee to help him get back to being one of the best players in the NBA.

Speaking to reporters after Thursday's 124-104 loss to the Boston Celtics, Embiid said "I probably need to fix" the knee to regain his "dominant" form on the court.

After an extended layoff thanks to the All-Star break, there was some hope that Embiid would open the second half refreshed. He wound up finishing with 15 points on 3-of-9 shooting and three rebounds in 27 minutes against the Celtics.

This was the first time in his last 10 appearances that Embiid failed to score at least 20 points. The 2022-23 NBA MVP acknowledged earlier this month he could require another surgical procedure on his left knee.

"I think the straightforward answer is that when you’ve got something that’s inconsistent, at some point, you’ve got to do something about it," Embiid said after a Feb. 9 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. "We don’t know what it is. We’re looking into every option."

Embiid, who has dealt with knee injuries throughout his career, had surgery in February 2024 to repair a meniscus injury. He missed 29 games before returning late in the regular season.

The seven-time All-Star has played in only 18 games so far this season. His scoring average of 24.3 points per game is his lowest since 2019-20. He's also shooting a career-low 45.0 percent from the field.

Philadelphia (20-35) has lost six straight games, but it is still only 1.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls for the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament race.