Philadelphia 76ers All-NBA center Joel Embiid is scheduled to play Tuesday for the first time since Jan. 30.
Embiid underwent corrective surgery in early February to address a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, but was upgraded from out to questionable for Tuesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 2022-23 NBA MVP was in position to win his second straight MVP award when a problematic left knee derailed his season. The last time Embiid played, the Sixers were 29-17 and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, just two games behind second-place Milwaukee. Since then, the Sixers have fallen to 8th place with 11 wins and 18 losses.
The Sixers are heading into a play-in game with two chances to win one game and make the playoffs.
This season, Embiid averaged 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 points, 1.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals while shooting 53.3 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from 3-point range. Embiid is setting career highs in points and assists.
The Sixers' playoff success will depend on Embiid's health, but the Sixers will manage Embiid's minutes over the remaining seven regular-season games.
Because he has played fewer than 65 games, Embiid is not eligible for major awards such as MVP or All-NBA honors.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid plays Sixers vs. Thunder
