76ers' Joel Embiid Reveals He Had 'Some Complications' After Surgery for Appendicitis in New Video
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid returned to the court for Sunday's blowout loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference Playoff matchup.
After the game, Embiid revealed that his return from an appendectomy wasn't without some unforeseen complications:
"It was tough because i had some complications after the surgery," he told reporters. "I don't want to get into the details."
Embiid, 32, missed the final three games of the regular season, the team's Play-In Tournament win over the Orlando Magic and the first three games of Philly's series against Boston following the procedure.
Injuries limited him to just 38 games in the regular season, the third straight campaign he's failed to even reach 40 games played.
When healthy, he was excellent, averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three.
Where Embiid's impact has waned is on the defensive end, however. In his prime, he was a formidable rim-protector, but a career of injuries and the natural impact of age have made him far less impactful on that end.
His rust also showed at times on Sunday, though he still finished with 26 points in 34 minutes, shooting 9-of-21 from the field. He also pulled down 10 rebounds and six assists in the team's embarrassing 128-96 loss.
The Sixers are going to need the best of Embiid to fight back against the favored Celtics. Three straight wins is no small task against Boston, especially given how infrequently Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George have actually shared the court this season.
