NBA roundtable: Breaking down Joel Embiid's return, and whether the Sixers can make a playoff run

Embiid returned to the court this week after missing two months with a torn meniscus

In the fourth quarter of the Philadelphia 76ers' loss to the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 30, Joel Embiid tore his meniscus in his left knee when Jonathan Kuminga landed atop it during a chase for a loose ball. The team eventually determined that he needed surgery to repair the issue, and initially, it was unclear when or if he would return this season. 

That question was answered last Tuesday when Embiid returned to the court for the Sixers' matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the end, he missed just over two months, during which time the Sixers went 11-18 and fell from fifth place in the Eastern Conference to eighth. 

Embiid put up 24 points, six rebounds and seven assists in 30 minutes in his first game back to help the Sixers take down the Thunder. He then followed it up with 29 points, four rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes in the Sixers' crucial win over the Heat. All of a sudden, the city of Philadelphia suddenly has hope again.