PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid returned to the court Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks after missing the past month — 15 games in total — with knee swelling and a foot sprain.
Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse said there will not be a hard cap on Embiid’s minutes Tuesday night. He said that 30 minutes is a realistic expectation, though the final number would be determined by how the 7-footer feels throughout the game.
Embiid, the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player, had not played since a Jan. 4 win over the Brooklyn Nets. He has averaged 24.4 points and 7.9 rebounds across just 13 games this season, as the 76ers enter Tuesday’s game one game behind the Chicago Bulls for the 10th and final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
Embiid will not go up against new Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, who remains out with an abdominal strain he suffered here in Philadelphia as a Laker a week ago. Davis said he could return Thursday in Boston against the Celtics or Saturday back in Dallas against the Houston Rockets.
Also out Tuesday night will be Quentin Grimes and Caleb Martin, after Philadelphia and Dallas swapped the two players earlier in the day. While both teams are in Philadelphia, the trade won’t be completed in time for either of them to play.
