Joel Embiid returns to the NBA Cup very rusty and with the Sixers losing to the Knicks

Joel Embiid returned to action in the NBA Cup with a clear defeat for the Philadelphia 76ers. After an additional three weeks of waiting, the star center made his season debut on Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center against the New York Knicks, after missing the first nine games to manage a left knee injury and serve a three-game suspension for pushing a reporter.

His performance in 26 minutes was predictable, with ups and downs: he scored 13 points on a low 2 for 11 shooting (though perfect on free throws with 8 for 8), adding 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block in a 111-99 loss.

Embiid acknowledged that regaining confidence in leaning on his affected left knee will take time. "It's all about confidence and believing in myself," he said. "Leaning on...I mentioned it a few weeks ago when I spoke to you; that's the mental barrier I have to overcome. But I believe I can still be pretty good, although I'll achieve that part at some point." The player mentioned that he doesn't know how long it will take him to reach his peak: "It could be in the next game, maybe in two... but I usually recover pretty quickly, so I'm fine."

With a disappointing 2-8 start to the season, the 76ers are in 14th place in the Eastern Conference, and will now face the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. It remains to be seen if Embiid or his star teammate Paul George, who has been dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee, will be able to play. Despite their initial plans to prioritize the health of their veteran players throughout the season, injuries to Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey have complicated matters for the 76ers, who are trying to find their rhythm with a constantly depleted roster.

"I think it's all about us being together on the court, learning to play with each other," Embiid commented. "But health is key. I'm back, PG is feeling pretty good, now we need Tyrese back, and once we're all on the court, I think we'll have a good chance of winning some games." In contrast, the Knicks (5-5) haven't faced these issues; they've kept the same starting lineup in their first ten games, and on Tuesday, they used it to dominate the 76ers.

A stellar Karl-Anthony Towns

Embiid's return was quickly overshadowed by the performance of Karl-Anthony Towns, who grew up in New Jersey and played his first game in this rivalry. Towns scored eight points in the early minutes and finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists, setting the pace with his energy on both ends of the court. "Yes, obviously Joel is a great defender," Josh Hart remarked. "But in his first game back, it takes a little time to get into rhythm. [Towns] did what we needed, came out strong from the start, hit a couple of threes, attacked the rim, played how we needed. He set the tone early, got important rebounds, and we followed his energy."

Nick Nurse, coach of the 76ers, noted that Embiid was still "rusty." "I think the physical condition caught up with him pretty early," he said. "I've seen him play through that before, respond in the second half after a break. He seemed to do it a bit, but then got tired again in the fourth. But, again, it was to be expected. He played with a lot of competitive spirit considering what he could do out there." However, the result was another loss for the 76ers, who hope that the season, which is still long, will allow them to gain consistency and build chemistry as they recover their key pieces on the court.

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