Joel Embiid finally returned from his two-week absence, playing all 30 minutes alongside Tyrese Maxey in Sunday's double-overtime thriller against the Atlanta Hawks. The dominant center described his return as a "good step" towards regaining form, feeling okay physically after making his first game back.
Embiid praised the development of the trio he shared court time with on Sunday, stating that they are "getting better" and will be able to click together more effectively moving forward. He acknowledged that injuries have hindered his progress but expressed trust in his training regimen and rehabilitation process.
The center also discussed his difficult decision to leave the floor during the second overtime period, citing emotional frustration but maintaining a focus on learning from the experience. When asked about the team's heavy reliance on familiar two-man actions between him and Maxey, Embiid stressed the importance of involving other players in their strategy moving forward.
Embiid acknowledged Tyrese Maxey's remarkable workload, saying he feels bad for the young guard but believes everyone can only control their own actions. He expressed admiration for Maxey's elite performance and vowed to support his teammate during this challenging stretch.
Meanwhile, rookie VJ Edgecombe returned from a three-game absence with his calf injury showing no signs of weakness after Sunday's game. In contrast, Dominick Barlow took advantage of his newfound starting role in the power forward position, playing 45 minutes and making key contributions throughout the match against the Hawks.
Coach Nick Nurse has praised Barlow for his outstanding basketball IQ, athleticism, and commitment to helping the team succeed, solidifying his place as a valuable asset in the lineup.
The Sixers' coach Kyle Lowry made his second appearance of the season and showcased his leadership skills with 11 minutes of playing time against the Brooklyn Nets. Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain praised their coach's influence on their performance during Friday's game and expressed excitement about playing alongside him again.
However, an ominous development emerged when Andre Drummond was ruled out of Sunday's match due to knee soreness. Despite his MRI coming back clean, the 32-year-old center struggled with a sore knee at halftime and did not appear in the second half.
Overall, the Sixers' performance against the Hawks was marred by heartbreak, but Embiid emphasized the importance of moving forward quickly and capitalizing on this opportunity to regroup and refocus.
Embiid praised the development of the trio he shared court time with on Sunday, stating that they are "getting better" and will be able to click together more effectively moving forward. He acknowledged that injuries have hindered his progress but expressed trust in his training regimen and rehabilitation process.
The center also discussed his difficult decision to leave the floor during the second overtime period, citing emotional frustration but maintaining a focus on learning from the experience. When asked about the team's heavy reliance on familiar two-man actions between him and Maxey, Embiid stressed the importance of involving other players in their strategy moving forward.
Embiid acknowledged Tyrese Maxey's remarkable workload, saying he feels bad for the young guard but believes everyone can only control their own actions. He expressed admiration for Maxey's elite performance and vowed to support his teammate during this challenging stretch.
Meanwhile, rookie VJ Edgecombe returned from a three-game absence with his calf injury showing no signs of weakness after Sunday's game. In contrast, Dominick Barlow took advantage of his newfound starting role in the power forward position, playing 45 minutes and making key contributions throughout the match against the Hawks.
Coach Nick Nurse has praised Barlow for his outstanding basketball IQ, athleticism, and commitment to helping the team succeed, solidifying his place as a valuable asset in the lineup.
The Sixers' coach Kyle Lowry made his second appearance of the season and showcased his leadership skills with 11 minutes of playing time against the Brooklyn Nets. Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain praised their coach's influence on their performance during Friday's game and expressed excitement about playing alongside him again.
However, an ominous development emerged when Andre Drummond was ruled out of Sunday's match due to knee soreness. Despite his MRI coming back clean, the 32-year-old center struggled with a sore knee at halftime and did not appear in the second half.
Overall, the Sixers' performance against the Hawks was marred by heartbreak, but Embiid emphasized the importance of moving forward quickly and capitalizing on this opportunity to regroup and refocus.
The way Embiid is taking his return back, it's like he's in a zone 
! He's finally back from that two-week break and it feels like he's still got the magic 
. But you can tell he's been feeling a bit rusty, so yeah, it was good to see him out there for all 30 minutes 
.
! They're like two peas in a pod, except one pea is way more clutch 
. But seriously, they need to keep building on that chemistry, maybe get some other guys involved in their game plan 
.
! I mean, calf injuries are no joke, so it's awesome he's showing no signs of weakness after being out for three games 
. And Dominick Barlow is definitely solidifying his spot in that power forward position 
.
Andre Drummond was ruled out due to knee soreness? That's not cool 
! You don't want your star players getting hurt, especially when you're just getting back from a two-week break 
. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the Sixers' next game 
he's gotta regain form, but also develop chemistry with his teammates, which is deeper than just basketball, you know? it's about trust, communication, and understanding each other's strengths & weaknesses... and injuries can be like, super frustrating, but embiid's tryin to keep it in perspective, takin the good with the bad... and what's even more intriguing is how he handled that second OT period, emotional frustration's no joke, but he's learnin from it 
I'm so stoked that Joel Embiid is back on the court!!! 
He's been out for like, forever 
, and it was such a relief to see him dominating alongside Tyrese Maxey 
. But seriously though, I love how he's taking this opportunity to reflect on his game and work on getting back into form 
! Coach Nick Nurse knew what he was doing when he gave him the starting role 
. I'm so excited to see how this team continues to grow and improve together 
. Let's get ready for playoffs, Sixers!!! 
he said he trusts his training tho so fingers crossed he gets back on track soon. btw tyrese maxey is doing some heavy lifting and i feel bad for him lol. coach nick nurse is lowkey awesome with dominick barlow he made a huge impact on that game 
it's good to see him feeling okay physically tho 
that's a good point, we don't want to rely too much on just him and maxey 
Barlow is looking like a solid addition to the lineup, coach nurse seems to be doing a great job 
kyle lowry showed up for his second game of the season and it's cool to see him bring that leadership vibe 
i think embiid is really coming back strong now 
The fact that they had to resort to familiar two-man actions because everyone else isn't step up their game is kinda concerning though. 
The only thing that's got me worried is Andre Drummond's knee soreness, hope it doesn't turn into something more serious... 
. Like, I get it, he's on fire right now, but can't Joel just take some of the ball? It's like they're stuck in a rut and Embiid is just along for the ride 
. And don't even get me started on Barlow, who does anyone know about? He gets 45 minutes of playing time out of nowhere and suddenly he's a valuable asset? 
he talks about how injuries have held him back, but then also emphasizes the importance of learning from those experiences. and can we talk about tyrese maxey for a sec? 
that kid is on fire! 
. and yay for vj edgecombe returning from injury 
! coach lowry making a comeback is awesome too, love the leadership vibes 
. now let's hope andre drummond gets back to full strength soon 
Kyle Lowry seems cool though, his presence on the court definitely made a difference, but I'm still not sure how I feel about all these new players coming in and changing things up. Can't they just stick with what works? 
where I was a master chef and I had to create a dish with only ingredients that started with the letter 'Q'. Like, quail eggs, quinoa, queso... it was so silly but also kinda genius