The Philadelphia 76ers are caught in a slump, but they could receive the best Christmas gift possible: Joel Embiid should return soon.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Embiid is expected to miss Philly’s next two games but there is optimism he’ll be healthy for the Christmas Day clash with the New York Knicks.
Embiid has missed four of the last six games due to a sore back, and the Sixers were 0-4 without him. Philly had placed itself in the playoff discussion, but dropping games to the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls won’t help that postseason push because the team already has a thin margin for error.
Additionally, the 76ers play back-to-back games against the Toronto Raptors prior to Christmas. The realistic best-case scenario is splitting the matchups, but it’s a possibility Toronto wins twice.
That would extend the slump to nine losses in 10 games, so Embiid’s return would be both welcomed and much-needed for the Sixers.
And then, like Santa Claus carries his bag of toys, Embiid can once again put Philly on his back.