A lot can change in just a few days, especially when it comes to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Back on Monday, the Sixers were without five main rotation players — Joel Embiid (oblique), Paul George (suspension), Tyrese Maxey (finger), Quentin Grimes (illness) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (elbow) — in their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. By Wednesday, the long hiatuses of both Embiid and George came to an end, and Grimes returned from illness. Philadelphia dominated the Chicago Bulls that night, putting up 157 points, notching their highest single-game point total in 56 years. Embiid and George had the best returns you could probably ask for after their stints sidelined, with Embiid scoring 35 points in just over 28 minutes played and PG adding 28 points in 26:20.
Now, it looks like the Sixers are on their way to getting yet another piece of the puzzle back. At practice on Friday, Oubre told reporters that he was ready to return for Saturday’s contest after an elbow injury has kept him sidelined since March 10.
Reinforcements are coming at the right time for Philadelphia, who face a tough opponent on Saturday with a visit to Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel and the red-hot Charlotte Hornets riding a six-game win streak. They have gone 13-5 since the All-Star break.
Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters after practice on Friday that he’s “pretty sure” Oubre will play on Saturday, but some question remains on what exact role he would play in the contest.
Nurse also added that Embiid came out “pretty good” after his first contest in just about a month.
The optimistic news out of Friday continued in a way I am not really used to with this team. Tyrese Maxey, who has been out since March 7 with a tendon injury in his pinky, was throwing up shots alongside Embiid after practice. Nurse told reporters that Maxey has become “a lot more involved” in the last few days and that the guard has been focusing on keeping himself conditioned while the hand continues to heal.
No word on a potential return timetable for Maxey just yet, but it certainly sounds like things are headed in the right direction with him as well.
It’s a very good time for things to go right for the Sixers, too. As of Friday afternoon, the Sixers are seventh in the Eastern Conference at 40-33, but there is _a lot_ of room for movement — up or down — around them right now. Numbers 8 through 10 in the East right now (Orlando Magic, Hornets and Miami Heat) are all 39-34, just a single game behind Philadelphia. Atop the Sixers are the Toronto Raptors, a half a game ahead in sixth, and the Atlanta Hawks, one game ahead in fifth.
We are entering the final push, with just nine regular season games remaining for the Sixers. Buckle up.