Joel Embiid Makes Rare Appearance on Road During Sixers’ Loss vs. Cavs

The Philadelphia 76ers might not have been able to pull off the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, but at least they might have something to look forward to in the near future.

For the first time in a while, the Sixers welcomed their star center Joel Embiid on the road. Since Embiid went down with a meniscus injury back in late January, the MVP was sent home to undergo testing.

Embiid ultimately decided that a corrective procedure would be best for his knee. Since undergoing surgery last month, Embiid has yet to return to the floor. However, he’s taken steps in the right direction lately.

For the last week or so, Embiid has resumed basketball activities on the court. Although he was limited to solo action, the big man went against teammates in Thursday’s session before the Sixers traveled to Cleveland.

And in order to get a chance to work closely with the team while they are away, Embiid hit the road to join his teammates. On Friday morning, he reportedly participated in a workout following the Sixers’ shootaround session.

As the Sixers battled it out against the Cavaliers, Embiid watched from the bench.

The Sixers found themselves on the wrong end of a tight game once again on Friday. Falling short to the Cavaliers with a 117-114 loss, the Sixers fell to 39-35 on the year. With no other Eastern Conference matchups falling into their favor, Philly remains eighth in the East for the time being.

Getting Embiid back soon would be critical for Philadelphia. Even if the MVP isn’t the top-tier version of himself after a long hiatus, the seven-time All-Star’s presence alone could make a huge difference down the stretch.

It’s unclear when Embiid will return to the court, but his recent activity has hinted that better days are approaching, barring any setbacks.