PHILADELPHIA — In a stunning turn of events, Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid took the court Sunday evening as a starter for Game 4 against the Boston Celtics, barely two and a half weeks following his appendix removal surgery.
The Wells Fargo Center erupted when Embiid’s name was announced during pregame introductions, as fans welcomed back their franchise player who hadn’t competed since April 6. The former MVP wasted no time making his presence felt, converting two free throws for Philadelphia’s opening points before delivering a thunderous two-handed dunk and accounting for the team’s first eight points.
Embiid’s status remained uncertain throughout the day, initially listed as doubtful before being upgraded to questionable roughly 90 minutes prior to game time. Team officials gave him medical clearance approximately 40 minutes before tipoff, with the 32-year-old center sporting a protective wrap around his torso.
During the 2024-25 campaign, Embiid posted averages of 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds despite appearing in just 19 contests. His last full season came in 2022-23, when he participated in at least 40 games while averaging a career-high 33.1 points en route to MVP recognition.
The big man underwent emergency appendix surgery in Houston on April 9 after developing appendicitis symptoms overnight, forcing him to miss Philadelphia’s play-in victory over Orlando and the series’ opening three games.
Head coach Nick Nurse acknowledged pregame uncertainty regarding Embiid’s playing time and effectiveness, though the 2023 MVP’s presence clearly provided an emotional boost for a Philadelphia squad that entered as 7½-point home underdogs despite trailing the series 2-1.
Boston dominated the series opener with a 32-point blowout victory, but Philadelphia bounced back with a shocking 111-97 road triumph in Game 2. Game 3 saw Tyrese Maxey pour in 31 points to give the 76ers a fourth-quarter advantage before Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown rallied the Celtics to a 108-100 win.
Sunday’s starting five featured Embiid alongside Maxey, rookie sensation VJ Edgecombe, Paul George, and Kelly Oubre Jr.
Embiid’s absence from the play-in tournament and early playoff rounds continues a troubling pattern of postseason injuries that have plagued his career.
Last year’s playoffs saw him battle through Bell’s palsy, a condition causing facial paralysis. He famously wore sunglasses during a press conference after scoring 50 points against New York in Game 3, explaining he was experiencing blurred vision and dry eyes.
The 2023 postseason cost him games in two different series due to a sprained right knee injury.
Perhaps most devastating was 2022, when Philadelphia won 51 regular season games under Doc Rivers and appeared poised for a championship run. Those hopes were derailed when Embiid sustained a right orbital fracture, concussion, and torn thumb ligament after taking an inadvertent hit to the face from Toronto’s Pascal Siakam. His two-game absence in the second round against Miami proved costly, as Philadelphia lost both contests and the series 4-2.
Previous playoff campaigns have also been interrupted by injuries, including a torn meniscus in 2021 and various ailments in 2019 and 2018 that forced him to miss multiple games.
