Joel Embiid makes wild Luka Doncic trade-inspired joke after 76ers’ win over Mavs
Joel Embiid made his return to the Philadelphia 76ers lineup with jokes about avoiding Luka Doncic-style trade postgame.
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Joel Embiid joked about Luka Doncic trade
Joel Embiid finally made his return to the Philadelphia 76ers’ lineup after missing out for the past month due to injury. In his return, Embiid and the Sixers faced off against the Luka Doncic-less Dallas Mavericks following their shocking blockbuster trade on Saturday. As Embiid stamped his return with a victory, he went to the podium postgame with some pointed comments about the Mavericks’ trading Doncic.
Although the Mavericks were still missing their latest addition in Anthony Davis, the Kyrie Irving-led side still went down to the wire against the Sixers. However, it was Joel Embiid’s heroics with a 29-point triple-double that proved to be enough for the Sixers to seal the win. Postgame, Embiid addressed his return to action, clarifying why he did not look rusty on the floor in contrast to his early season struggles.
I was scared of getting traded. Nah, I’m kidding. Earlier, when I was trying to come back, I was trying to fit in. But then tonight, just trying to assert myself, because I know if I assert myself, now you know, they’re doubling and triple-teaming me, and that gets everybody else open.
Joel Embiid on his return
Although he did dive into his assertiveness on the offensive end of the floor, helping him find a rhythm, Embiid’s joke shed some light on the temperature of the trade deadline around the league. While Embiid may have been taking a dig at the Mavericks front office’s shocking decision to trade Luka Doncic, many stars around the league have been feeling the heat of potentially getting traded out of the blue.
However, even though Joel Embiid may be joking about a potential trade, he certainly has heavy expectations surrounding him as he tries to return back to his MVP-caliber form. Injuries have plagued him throughout the season, with some reports even claiming that Embiid’s persistent injury concerns caused the Mavericks to introspect on the future of their own conditioning troubles with Luka Doncic.
Joel Embiid set to miss next game after Tuesday’s comeback
Joel Embiid was a standout for the Sixers in their win over the Mavericks on Tuesday. The former MVP returned to action with a 29-point, 11 rebound and 10-assist triple-double in easily one of his best performances this season. However, the happiness of Sixers fans seeing their star back will be shortlived as Embiid is set to miss the team’s back-to-back matchup against the Miami Heat.
The Sixers are already shorthanded, with Paul George (left finger extensor injury) and Andre Drummond (left toe injury recovery) listed as doubtful after missing most of the team’s current homestand. However, Philly will have no choice but to rest Embiid on Wednesday as part of their ongoing injury management for his persistent left knee soreness.
This will mark the 36th missed game of the season for Joel Embiid, who has appeared in just 14 games for the Sixers this season, including the game on Tuesday. As he continues to tackle the challenges presented by his history of injuries, the missed games count for Embiid continues to rise, just days after he cracked the 400 mark – in the number of games he has been absent for.
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Armaan Gupta
(397 Articles Published)