76ers ‘happy’ with Joel Embiid’s progress on rehabbing knee

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid has been re-evaluated by doctors and they are “pleased with the progress” the 76ers center has made following surgery on the meniscus in his left knee, Philadelphia head coach Nick said Saturday Nurse.

“I think there's always steps in the progression of these things,” Nurse said before the Sixers' 109-98 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. “Everyone wants to know, 'Well, how long is this going to last?' And they give a wide range because of that, because everyone heals differently. We just try to take things as they come, get him healthy and get him back when he's ready to go.”

When asked if he thought Embiid would be back with the team before the playoffs, Nurse was cautious.

“I still hope so and I'm pretty confident, yes,” the coach said.

Embiid's status was a source of speculation after a medical update the team expected four weeks after the Feb. 6 surgery never happened. Embiid said on Feb. 29 that he believed he would be back for the playoffs, but the team's silence on the matter had raised questions about the status of the rehabilitation process.

Embiid, who celebrated his 30th birthday on Saturday, has missed 21 games since tearing his meniscus against Golden State on Jan. 30. Since then, Philadelphia has fallen from third place in the Eastern Conference to eighth place, with a record of 8-13 in 21 games. games without the 2022-23 NBA MVP

Embiid was seen greeting his teammates on the court after Philadelphia's 109-98 win over Charlotte on Saturday night, but he was not in the team's locker room when reporters were allowed in after the game.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.