PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is inching closer to a return before the end of the regular season, coach Nick Nurse said on March 27.
The Cameroonian has been sidelined with a left-knee injury suffered when the Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga fell on him in a Jan 30 game. He underwent a procedure to fix the damage to his knee on Feb 6.
Nurse said ahead of his team’s 108-107 National Basketball Association (NBA) defeat by the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on March 27: “I think there’s a very good likelihood that he will return before the play-in, play-off.
“He’s on the court... and we still don’t have a timeline for his return... I would imagine he’s getting better each day.
“It’s just trying to get him strong and confident and in shape and ramped up and all those wonderful words.”
The 76ers own a 26-8 record with Embiid on the floor this season. Without him, they are 13-26, 10-17 since he was hurt on Jan 30.
The 30-year-old is the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player. His average of 35.3 points per game this season would lead the league if he had played in enough games to qualify, and his rate of 11.3 rebounds per contest would rank among the top 10.
At the Wells Fargo Centre on March 27, there was controversy for the 76ers.
Officials acknowledged they missed a call in the waning seconds that would have given the hosts the chance to win it at the free-throw line.
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard made a pair of three-point plays in the final minute and came up with a big block on Kelly Oubre Jr with 5.1 seconds remaining.
The Sixers, down by one, had one last opportunity after a jump ball and Nurse was incensed that no foul was called on Paul George as he defended Oubre’s final attempt.
Nurse rushed into the court to dispute the non-call, Oubre voicing his displeasure too.
“I just thought it was enough contact to call,” Nurse, sounding more conciliatory after the game, said. “But that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
Oubre added: “We’re not perfect. The refs aren’t perfect. I want to apologise for just losing my cool...
“I saw coach Nurse getting riled up and if our coach is going to fight for us and he’s going there, then I’m right behind him. But at the end of the day, it wasn’t cool.”
Referee Kevin Scott said that in real time, officials thought George jumped vertically but that “in post-game video review, we did observe some slight drift to his left by the defender George, and a foul should have been called”. REUTERS, AFP
