Is Joel Embiid playing tonight against Atlanta Hawks? Philadelphia 76er's All-Star status revealed (Dec. 8)
The Philadelphia 76ers were able to activate Joel Embiid in their last game against the Washington Wizards after missing two consecutive games. Up next on their schedule are the Atlanta Hawks, who will be visiting them at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The game begins at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time and will be broadcast on NBC Sports Philadelphia and Bally Sports SE-ATL. NBA League Pass subscribers can catch the action through an online live stream.
After suffering from illness, Joel Embiid is back on the Sixers' roster and was his dominant self once again registering 50 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. He also shot 19-of-29 from the field and made 11 of his 13 free throws in the team's 5-point win over the Wizards.
According to the Sixers' injury report, they have a clean bill of health which means Embiid is ready to go against the Hawks. With that, the team will have their usual starting five surrounding Embiid with Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, De'Anthony Melton and Nic Batum.
Joel Embiid returns to the Sixers with a 50-point performance
With the way Joel Embiid played, it seemed that he was fully cured and healthy from his illness after blasting the Wizards with 50 points. However, the reigning MVP said that he was still getting his groove back when speaking to reporters after the game:
"Man, my chest was hurting," said Embiid on what he felt when he was down with an illness. "I was pretty much struggling. But I'm much better than I was. It was pretty bad."
By opting to skip games against the New Orleans Pelicans and Boston Celtics, he was able to get back in game shape leading to his return against the Wizards.
"I would imagine the last two games were really helpful because in the first practice, I could not go up and down more than twice. And then (Tuesday), it was much better. In the second half, I started feeling much better.
"So I would imagine that (Thursday), I'll get on the floor again and push myself. And then Friday, I would imagine that I'll feel good."
For the 2023-24 season, Embiid has been averaging 33.1 points, 11.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists in 17 games. He has only missed three games for the Sixers so far and the team lost all of those matches.