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Philadelphia 76ers legends past and present came together on Tuesday night as Allen Iverson congratulated Joel Embiid on his successful return to the court.
Embiid, the reigning NBA MVP, helped the Sixers snatch a 108-105 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in his first appearance for over two months after recovering from a meniscus injury.
And after marking his comeback with a win, Philadelphia’s All-Star center shared a warm embrace with Iverson at courtside.
At the end of the game Embiid was seen making a beeline for the Sixers icon, who jumped up out of his seat to show his appreciation for his successor at Wells Fargo Center.
The pair then enjoyed a handshake before going their separate ways, with Iverson likely to have been impressed by what he saw on the night.
Joel Embiid embraced 76ers legend Allen Iverson after making a winning return to the court
The Philadelphia icons past and present shared a warm moment after their victory
Joel Embiid daps up Sixers legend Allen Iverson after the win 🤝pic.twitter.com/hNEWKOkLgk
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 3, 2024
Embiid helped the Sixers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in his first appearance since Jan 30
Embiid was on hand with 24 points, six rebounds and seven ᴀssists on his highly-anticipated return, while also firing the hosts in front in the final 40 seconds of the game.
The Sixers trailed by 11 points with 7:27 left before they went on a torrid run. Kelly Oubre Jr. hit a 3 that got the comeback rolling, and Embiid capped it off with a series of free throws.
He then hit two for a 106-105 lead and added two more that made it 108-105. The 30-year-old made all 12 foul sH๏τs on the night.
Embiid sat exhausted on the scorer’s table as the final seconds ticked off before he sauntered over to Iverson.
After damaging his meniscus on January 30 at Golden State, he underwent meniscus surgery on his left knee a week later, and the Sixers crashed in the East standings without him. They are currently eighth, 1 1/2 games behind Miami.
With a healthy Embiid, the 76ers at least have a better chance to win a series or two in the playoffs.
‘He changes them significantly,’ Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. ‘They play a lot different stylistically when he´s in to where they have been lately in the last 30 games he´s been out or so. When he plays, it certainly changes their approach.’
