In Joel Embiid’s return from a meniscus injury on January 30, the reigning Kia NBA MVP scored 24 points to capture a 109-105 victory over the Thunder.
Embiid recorded 24 points, six rebounds, and seven assists in 29 minutes, including four clutch free throws to clinch the win over the former No. 1 seed in the West. With the Thunder loss and Nuggets 110-105 victory over the Spurs, Denver has regained the No. 1 seed in the West.
The 76ers were down 11 with roughly 7:30 remaining in the game and sparked a run to bring the game within one eventually. Embiied sealed the 76ers' victory by stealing the ball from Thunder guard Josh Giddey with less than a minute to play, leading to him getting fouled and sinking two clutch free throws.
Joel Embiid was on pace to lead the NBA in scoring for the 3rd consecutive season and I would argue that he’s just as if not more impactful on the defensive side of the ball
— Sean Barnard (@Sean_Barnard1) April 3, 2024
Game-winning defensive play tonightpic.twitter.com/M3kTNjyu5b
Embiied suffered an injury to his meniscus on Jan. 30 against Golden State, requiring him to have surgery performed a week later. With the loss of their star player and reigning MVP, the 76er's position in the east dropped drastically to the No. 8 seed in the east, 1.5 games behind the Miami Heat. However, the No. 8 seed would receive a bid to the play-in tournament, where they would face the No. 7 seed in the East.
