Oct 17, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid before action against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

How Did Joel Embiid Look in His Return With Sixers vs Timberwolves?

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Declan Harris | Last updated Oct 18, 2025 9:14 AM ET

On Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers welcomed the Minnesota Timberwolves into the recently renamed Xfinity Mobile Arena for their final preseason game ahead of the start of the NBA season.

While the storyline surrounding the match could’ve been in regards to the Sixers looking for their first win, or the return to the court for VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes, the focus was on the return of another star: Joel Embiid.

How’d Embiid look in his return to action?

Embiid’s appearance in Philadelphia’s preseason finale against the Timberwolves marked his first action on the court against NBA talent since the Sixers’ loss to the Brooklyn Nets on February 22.

Being named to Nick Nurse’s starting lineup meant that the Cameroonian superstar was destined to receive a fair amount of time on the court, which he’d put to good use, recording a final stat line of 14 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.

bucket from the big fella. pic.twitter.com/hq4pxcZcS4
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 17, 2025

But perhaps the most important part of Embiid’s return couldn’t be reflected in a stat sheet, which was the eye test regarding how he looked on the court, given that throughout his 19 appearances last season, the former MVP and two-time Scoring Champion looked a little skittish on the court - which could’ve been caused by the nagging injury to his left knee.

But against the Timberwolves on Friday night, Embiid looked to be back to some of his familiar tricks, whether it was doing a pump fake at the three-point line to then drive in towards the basket, fighting for rebounds, or just hustling up and down the court. It put it simply, it seemed to be a little taste of what the former MVP put up in the years prior to last season.

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Now it is important to note that Embiid only appeared on the court for roughly 18 and a half minutes, so while that previously mentioned stat line may not sound all too impressive, the match was more about the Sixers’ superstar getting his feet wet and back against other NBA-level talent.

When will Embiid play again?

While there isn’t any definitive answer, given that there’s a little less than a week away from the date, Embiid’s next opportunity could come when the Sixers kick their season off with a match against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, Oct. 22.

It’ll be up to the Sixers' medical and coaching staff to decide if their former MVP is ready to go back out following his appearance in the preseason finale.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia 76ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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