Joel Embiid returned to the floor for the first time since February 7, delivering 27 points in just 26 minutes during the Philadelphia 76ers’ 135–114 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
But even with his strong outing, Embiid’s day-to-day availability remains a constant question mark as he continues managing both a right knee injury and right shin soreness.
The Sixers, however, received encouraging news ahead of their Thursday matchup with the Miami Heat. Philadelphia officially listed Embiid as probable, a major positive for a team fighting to stay above Play-In territory during a tightly contested Eastern Conference playoff race.
Before returning against Indiana, Embiid had missed five straight games. The Sixers dropped four of those, painfully illustrating just how much their offense collapses without the reigning scoring champion’s interior gravity, shot creation, and foul-drawing dominance.
In Tuesday’s win, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey combined for 59 points, restoring the offensive punch Philadelphia desperately lacked during his absence. Maintaining that production will be crucial Thursday, as the Sixers currently sit just 1.5 games ahead of Miami for the sixth seed.
The Heat and Sixers have met once this season, when Miami won 127–117 in their November 23 showdown. With playoff positioning tightening, Thursday’s rematch carries significant implications for both teams.
Philadelphia also listed Kelly Oubre Jr. on the injury report with “left knee injury recovery,” though he is available to play. Oubre has stepped up lately, averaging 18.3 points on elite efficiency—64.6% true shooting—over his last three games.
Meanwhile, Paul George remains out while serving his 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. He last played January 29 in a win against the Sacramento Kings, and Philadelphia has gone 6–5 in his absence. Without George, the Sixers miss his shot creation, late-game scoring, and defensive versatility. He will not be eligible to return until March 25 versus the Chicago Bulls.
The Sixers are also without rookie big man Johni Broome, who suffered a torn right meniscus during the Delaware Blue Coats’ game against the Maine Celtics on Saturday. He has not been ruled out for the season yet, though he has appeared in only 11 NBA games so far. With the Blue Coats, he’s averaging 19.3 points and 9.1 rebounds—far more productive numbers than his limited NBA usage reflects.
On the Miami side, the team listed Tyler Herro (rib), Keshad Johnson (left knee soreness), Pelle Larsson (left finger), Norman Powell (lower back tightness), Dru Smith (left calf soreness), and Andrew Wiggins (left toe inflammation) as available.
Davion Mitchell is questionable due to a head injury, while Nikola Jović is sidelined with lower-back management. Terry Rozier, still away from the team because of gambling-related charges filed on October 23, has yet to play this season and remains inactive indefinitely.
The Sixers now return to their home floor at Xfinity Mobile Arena for the first time in a week after a three-game road trip in which they went 2–1. Wins over the Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves, paired with a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, helped stabilize them in the standings but did little to erase concerns about their depth without Embiid and George.
With playoff pressure intensifying and both teams dealing with long injury lists, Embiid’s probable return on Thursday becomes one of the defining storylines—not just for the game, but for Philadelphia’s hopes of avoiding the Play-In entirely.
