76ers' Joel Embiid returns, says knee issues 'depressing' - ESPN

CHICAGO — After 76ers center Joel Embiid finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds in Philadelphia's 108-100 win against the Bulls on Sunday, he admitted it has been a difficult process for him mentally to go through trying to get his left knee to a place where he can play.

«Depressing,» Embiid told ESPN when asked what the past couple of months have been like for him. «Just trying to figure it out. There's no injury. Just between the swelling… we've got to get it figured out. That's it.

»I've been saying it for the last few months. It's been extremely depressing. It's something that hasn't been figured out, and it's been extremely annoying, because I would love to play every single game."

Embiid missed the opening nine games of the season because of his knee and a league suspension. He returned to play in four games — including a 35-point performance in Memphis on Nov. 20 — before again being shut down and missing the past two and a half weeks of action because of swelling in his knee, as well as for personal reasons.

That time away from the court ended Sunday, when Embiid — after being upgraded to questionable Saturday — went through his normal pregame workout a little less than an hour before tip and was then inserted back into the starting lineup alongside fellow All-Stars Tyrese Maxey and Paul George.

Before Sunday's game, the three of them had only shared the court for six minutes — all in that loss in Memphis, when George hyperextended his left knee for a second time in about a month.

But against Chicago, there were glimpses of what they can do. The trio played 26 minutes together Sunday, with the 76ers outscoring the Bulls by 14 points in that span.

As a result, Embiid still has faith that despite the rough start