76ers vs. Bulls: Will Joel Embiid Have Minutes Restriction in Return?

Joel Embiid is back in the mix for the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

With the Chicago Bulls in town for the second time this season, the Sixers hope that Embiid’s presence gives them the boost they need to avoid falling against the Bulls for the third time this year.

Lately, Embiid’s been battling a sprained ankle. His last appearance came on December 22, when the Sixers hosted the Toronto Raptors. Early on during the matchup, Embiid twisted his ankle. Although it was a scary sight for the 76ers initially, the big man completed a 35-minute shift. During that time, he accounted for 31 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists. The Sixers defeated the Raptors by ten points.

After that game, Embiid took a stretch off. When the Sixers faced the Miami Heat on Christmas Day, the big man stayed in Philly, leaving the door open for a potential return to the lineup during the team’s four-game road stretch to close out 2023.

Embiid never joined the 76ers on the road, though. Staying around the team’s practice facility to work on recovering better, Embiid targeted a return in the new year. After a four-game absence, the six-time All-Star is set to play once again on Tuesday against the Bulls.

Will Embiid see a minutes restriction? According to the team’s head coach, Nick Nurse, that’s out of the question.

“No,” the head coach said on the topic of a restriction. “Not on Joel.”

While Embiid will be let loose against Chicago, his veteran teammate Nic Batum will find himself dealing with a slight restriction, according to Nurse. Similar to Embiid, Batum missed three out of four games on the Sixers’ latest road trip due to a hamstring strain. 

After a five-game absence, Batum returned to the Sixers’ lineup on December 30 against the Bulls. He came off the bench for the first time since November 10, checking in for under 20 minutes. 

During that time, Batum scored nine points on 50 percent shooting from the field. While he showed flashes in his first game back, Batum is expected to be eased back into the swing of things when the Sixers continue their regular season series against the Bulls on Tuesday.