The Nets could get another taste of Joel Embiid before the season is done.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday that Embiid is nearing a return and is expected to return to the court sometime this week, just in time for the Philadelphia 76ers’ final set of regular season games ahead of the postseason.
The reigning MVP has been sidelined since January 30 because of a left meniscus injury. Brooklyn’s final game of the regular season will be against the 76ers on April 14 at Wells Fargo Center.
The Nets have a 2-1 record against Philadelphia this season but have only matched up against Embiid once. That was on Nov. 19 at Barclays Center, a 121-99 76ers win where Embiid scored a game-high 32 points on 11-of-24 shooting with 12 rebounds, nine assists and a block.
Embiid was injured the next time these two teams played at Wells Fargo Center on Feb. 3. The Nets beat Philadelphia by 15 points behind a 40-point eruption from Cam Thomas, but it is also worth noting that the 76ers were also without Tobias Harris, Nicolas Batum, DeAnthony Melton and Robert Covington.
It was Brooklyn’s first win over the 76ers in 10 tries dating back to March 10, 2022. The Nets also took care of business when Philadelphia visited Barclays Center on March 5, winning 112-107, in a game where Embiid and Tyrese Maxey did not play.
What makes the Nets’ regular-season finale against the 76ers so interesting is what could be at stake for both teams. Brooklyn (29-46) is currently 5.5 games behind the 10th place Atlanta Hawks for the final Play-In Tournament spot in the Eastern Conference. It has won three of its last four games entering Monday’s road matchup against the Indiana Pacers.
Meanwhile, the 76ers (40-35) are 1.5 games behind the Miami Heat for seventh place and two games behind Indiana for sixth place, which means they could avoid the Play-In all together with a strong finish and a little bit of luck over their final seven regular season games.
While Philadelphia will qualify for the postseason either way, the Nets still have work to do. But if things somehow do go Brooklyn’s way down the stretch, that April 14 meeting with the 76ers at Wells Fargo Center could prove to be pivotal for both teams in terms of seeding.
And if the Nets want to make the Play-In, there is a chance they may have to go through Embiid to do it.
