The Philadelphia 76ers got their star big man back just in time for the final preseason game on Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Center Joel Embiid returned in a big way, scoring 14 points with 8 assists, 7 rebounds and 3 steals in 19 minutes in the 76ers’ 126-110 win over the Timberwolves. Embiid shot 50% from both the field and beyond the arc.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers in scoring with 27 points, VJ Edgecombe scored 26 and Quentin Grimes added 22. Leonard Miller had a team-high 21 points for Minnesota.
Embiid’s return was his first appearance since February after the veteran was shut down for the rest of the 2024-25 season due to left knee pain. Embiid underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on the knee in April.
Embiid did not provide much of an update on his injury during Philadelphia’s media day last month, saying he felt “pretty good.”
“There’s not necessarily an expectation,” Embiid said. “The goal is to play consistently and not be in a position that we were last year.”
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Last season was one to forget for the 76ers, who ended up 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 24-58 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017. In addition to Embiid, Paul George — Philadelphia’s buzziest signing last offseason — also struggled with injury and underwent his own knee surgery this summer.
The Sixers were supposed to have a formidable Big Three of Embiid, George and star guard Tyrese Maxey; instead, the trio played together 15 times the entire season.
But heading into the 2025-26 season, there are echoes of last season’s injury woes. Jared McCain, who missed much of his rookie season last year with a meniscus tear, is injured once again after tearing his UCL in his right thumb last month. George wasn’t a full participant in training camp while recovering from surgery and has yet to make his preseason debut.
Philadelphia will tip off the regular season on the road with a matchup against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday — and will hope to keep everyone healthy for as long as possible.
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