The Philadelphia 76ers' hopes of a swift return to form have taken a tantalizing turn, with Joel Embiid upgraded to questionable status ahead of Sunday's home showdown against the Atlanta Hawks. The former NBA MVP has been sidelined for an unprecedented nine consecutive games due to a recurring right knee issue that began on November 11.
In line with coach Nick Nurse and team officials' previous assessments, the issue was initially described as day-to-day. However, over the course of 18 days without a game appearance from Embiid, it seemed his prospects of making a comeback had all but faded. That is until just five hours before tip-off, when the Sixers unexpectedly revised Embiid's status to questionable.
This dramatic shift in expectations has sent shockwaves through the basketball community and left fans eagerly anticipating the possibility of Embiid returning to action after an extended period away from the court. With the game set to take place on Sunday night, it remains to be seen whether Embiid will finally make his highly-anticipated return or if his knee woes continue to derail his progress.
In line with coach Nick Nurse and team officials' previous assessments, the issue was initially described as day-to-day. However, over the course of 18 days without a game appearance from Embiid, it seemed his prospects of making a comeback had all but faded. That is until just five hours before tip-off, when the Sixers unexpectedly revised Embiid's status to questionable.
This dramatic shift in expectations has sent shockwaves through the basketball community and left fans eagerly anticipating the possibility of Embiid returning to action after an extended period away from the court. With the game set to take place on Sunday night, it remains to be seen whether Embiid will finally make his highly-anticipated return or if his knee woes continue to derail his progress.
, now he might just surprise us and get back on the court! I've been following this guy for years and it always gets my heart racing when he's out with an injury 
. This change in status from questionable to game-day ready has got me wondering if Coach Nurse is trying to give us a sneak peek at something special 
. If he does come back, I'm pretty sure the energy in the Wells Fargo Center will be ELECTRIC 
! Fingers crossed for Embiid's knee and my team! 
! So Embiid's been out for 9 games now and everyone thought he was done for the season, but then BAM! He's questionable again 
? That's like, a 50/50 chance of him playing on Sunday 
. According to some stats I found out, when players are initially ruled out with an injury, there's only about a 30% chance they'll actually play in the next game 
. But Embiid's always been one for the comebacks 
. Anyway, if he does make it back, we're looking at a huge boost to the Sixers' morale 
. They've lost some big games without him and this could be their ticket back to form 
. Here are some fun stats to show just how much of an impact Embiid's return will have on the team:
. But now that he's listed as questionable, it's like he's still got a shot 
. If he can get some practice in and feel good about his knee, I'd bet he'll give it another go on Sunday 
. The Hawks are a tough opponent, but Embiid is the man - if anyone can take 'em down, it's him 
. Fingers crossed for the 76ers (and Joel himself) 
I've been checking the 76ers' updates every hour and this news just blew my mind! Joel Embiid's comeback is like a rollercoaster ride of emotions - one minute he's out with an injury, the next he's back in the mix. Nine games without him has already had a huge impact on their season, but if he does come back now... game-changer! 
. If he can even make it through 24 minutes without feeling that familiar pain, it'll be a win-win for both him and the team 
. The Hawks are struggling anyway, so if Embiid's back (fingers crossed) can help them get back on track, we might just see some fireworks 
!!! Like, I know injuries are a part of the game, but nine games without him already? That's a long time! 
But at the same time, Nick Nurse and the team said he was getting better and that his prognosis has changed... so fingers crossed! 
Maybe this is the break we need for the Sixers to get back on track. Can't wait to see him back on the court on Sunday night! 
like, what's up with these questionable statuses? it's not like he's been playing or anything... i mean, who needs a 9-game streak without a game when you can just say "maybe" on sunday night? 