March 26, 2026, 5:31 a.m. ET

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers welcomed Joel Embiid back to the lineup on Wednesday night for the first time since Feb. 26 as the big fella has been battling a right oblique strain. He missed 13 straight games with the injury, but one wouldn’t know it in a 157-137 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Embiid was terrific as he scored 35 points on 12-for-17 shooting, knocked down all three of his 3-point attempts, and shot 8-for-9 from the foul line. He also dished out seven assists and grabbed six rebounds in 28 minutes of playing time. He was great in a number of areas throughout the night as he made it look easy against the Bulls.

With that being said, one has to wonder how he’s feeling. It’s been the first time he’s played real basketball in nearly a month.

“I feel good enough,” Embiid said after the win. “We are at the point where I just need to get in a rhythm, get in shape to get ready.”

There were some moments where it looked as if Embiid was wincing a bit after some plays, but he was still able to finish the game and have a terrific night. However, he did discuss the injury as he revealed he was in a lot of pain regarding the oblique.

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“It’s really painful,” he deadpanned. “I don’t know if you’ve ever had it. Really painful. Can’t cough. Can’t sneeze. Every time you sneeze, it feels like you go right back to where you started. Still not where it’s supposed to be. We are the point where I don’t think—maybe when the season is over, maybe it’s going to get better. But, yeah, it’s really painful.”

While the oblique is something that Embiid and the Sixers must manage over the final nine games of the season, his knees are a thing of the past. He explained that his knees don’t bother him much anymore. It’s more so the oblique.

“My knees haven’t been an issue for a long time,” he stated. “So, that’s past me. The oblique was very tricky and it still is tricky. It’s really nothing you can do about it. Gotta let it ride and hope that it doesn’t get worse.”

With that being said, this is yet another injury Embiid has to overcome as he continues forward. The big fella is looking forward to just getting back at it and just work his way back into shape. Unfortunately, for him, this is not a new process.

“I’ve been through it way too much,” Embiid finished. “So same story. Get back up, put the work in, and come back.”

The Sixers will begin a 3-game road trip on Saturday when they take on the Charlotte Hornets.