Embiid rolled his ankle in that game and has been out ever since. Head coach Nick Nurse addressed the situation over the weekend and is optimistic that Embiid will make his return on Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls.
Just before Christmas Day, the Sixers found themselves matched up against the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite having the top defense in the league, Embiid still managed to put up a stat line of 51 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists. He shot 68% from the field (17-for-25) and went a stellar 17-for-18 from the free-throw line. The last time Embiid was in action was on December 22nd against the Toronto Raptors. He finished with a near triple-double, putting up 31 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists.
Embiid had an array of dominant outings in December, but two stand out above the rest. The first game in the first week of the month, when he erupted for 50 points and 13 rebounds in a win over the Washington Wizards. However, his best overall performance came a few weeks later.
This season, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is once again front and center in the MVP conversation. While it ended with him being sidelined with an ankle injury, the All-Star big man still managed to make history in the month of December.
In the nine games he played last month, Embiid put up averages of 40.2 PPG, 12.6 RPG, and 4.9 APG. Along with these dominant stats, he had shooting splits of 60.6/42.3/92.1. With these numbers, Embiid became the first player in NBA history to average 40 or more points in a month on 60% field goal shooting.
