Like it or not, Sixers' Joel Embiid is going to do things his way

Joel Embiid has two words for you: He’s back.

On Monday, Embiid was on the injury report as out for the Sixers ahead of their Tuesday matchup with the Thunder.

Wait ... you really thought he wasn’t going to play? Bless your heart.

The team upgraded the reigning MVP to questionable less than two hours before opening tip. Reports surfaced that he was planning to play. He took the court at his usual time, went through his warmup routine and shortly after, it was official.

While there was plenty of rust and offensive clunkiness, it was Embiid who came up with timely defensive plays and sunk big free throws to lift the Sixers to a 109-105 win over Oklahoma City Tuesday at The Center.

Surely the Sixers will be hearing from the league based on that injury designation change. If there’s a fine involved, they will pay it and move on. The important thing is their crown jewel, as Brett Brown was fond of calling Embiid, was ready to play.

And as he’s done for the past 10 years, Embiid did everything on his own terms — and with a flair for the dramatic.

Then an (extremely tired) large human went barreling towards the rim as a 7-foot-1 freakish phenom chased him down. Sure, Embiid could’ve taken the ball out, tried to kill a little time and then gotten the ball to a guard.

But nah.

“I was just trying to get the and-1,” Embiid said postgame. “I could’ve just (taken) it out, because I thought there was a two-second difference, or three. … But I saw him coming and the way he was moving, I just knew it was going to be a blocking foul. At that point, I was like, ‘Might as well go for it and try to get the and-1.’ And I just happened to lose the ball.”

Chet Holmgren was called for a blocking foul — a call upheld after a Thunder challenge — and Embiid went to the line, calmly sinking two free throws. Former Sixer Isaiah Joe had a chance to put a damper on the evening, but he missed two threes as time wound down.

This wasn’t the type of world-destroyer effort we’d grown accustomed to prior to Embiid’s injury, as expected. He hadn’t played an NBA game in over two months. His rhythm and conditioning are going to take time to come back, as his six turnovers would indicate. Still, the Sixers needed every one of his 24 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals.

While we shouldn’t anticipate any 70-point games in the near future, there are still plenty of ways for Embiid to impact winning in a big way, even when he’s not scoring 35 points a night. Embiid didn’t record a block Tuesday, but his presence was surely felt at the rim to close the game.

Embiid checked back in at the 4:15 mark. Oklahoma City scored just four points over the final stretch and had only one field goal (a Lu Dort putback). The Thunder were missing two incredibly dynamic offensive players in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, but still, the Sixers were missing that element during Embiid’s 28-game absence.

“When I come back from these things, I usually have 30, 40 — whatever it takes to get the win,” Embiid said. “But this time is a little different, so it’s going to take me a while to get back to myself and really trust myself.

“But as long as we win. I think my biggest impact is just being out there and defensively. I was happy I got the last stop of the game because I think I’m the best defender in the league. But I just want to be out there, provide space for everybody, attract attention, and get guys wide open.”

Beyond the physical hurdles Embiid still has to clear, there are obvious mental ones he has to overcome. While he’s been in this situation plenty of times before, he admitted that this injury felt a little different. It took a tougher toll on him than previous years.

Embiid was his usual charismatic self, but there were numerous poignant moments during his postgame availability.

On the court, he talked about how it’s not going to be easy to gain chemistry with guys he’s never played with like Kyle Lowry, Buddy Hield and Cameron Payne. Off the court, he talked about how he looked to his family for strength, getting to spend more time with his wife Anne and son Arthur.

“It was not a good ride,” Embiid said. “Usually, when I have injuries I just tell myself, ‘It’s cool, on to the next one. Get better, and they’ll fix it.’ But this one, it took a toll mentally, being depressed. It was not a good one. Still not where I’m supposed to be, especially mentally, but I just love basketball and I want to play. Every chance that I can be out there, I’m going to take it.”

He is back on the floor now, with the goal of coalescing with his teammates and leading a team that most higher seeds won’t want any part of. The goal is to guide the Sixers on what most would consider an improbable run, but Embiid also knows he needs to be smart. Too many times we’ve seen him rush back or play through nagging injuries unnecessarily.

Embiid recently turned 30 and knows that if he wants to prolong his career, he needs to listen to his body and the medical professionals.

“It’s actually funny, the timeline was eight weeks and I’m back in eight weeks,” Embiid said. “I think I’ve learned a lot over the years. I’ve got to take care of myself and I’ve got to stay healthy, because I still have a long career ahead of me. I think it’s all about now and the future. So if something doesn’t feel right, then they’re going to shut it down.”

After the game, Embiid went over and embraced Sixers legend Allen Iverson, who will have a statue unveiled at the team’s practice facility next week. In the not-too-distant future, Embiid will have a statue right next to A.I.’s.

And like Iverson, Embiid has done it his way. That’s why Philly has embraced him.

“If there’s one reason I play even when I’m not at my best, it’s that I’ve been in this city for a long time, and the love and the passion,” Embiid said. “I’ve always been passionate, but when you have fans behind you that are that passionate, it makes you want to play through anything — because that’s Philly. … Their support and what they mean to us, it’s unimaginable. They mean a lot. We’re going to need their support because we’ve got a long road ahead of us.”

In a fitting cap to a wild night, Embiid opened up a bag in his locker and took out a shirt. With Wrestlemania 40 taking place at The Linc this weekend, wrestling legend Triple H, who has enjoyed Embiid’s and-1 crotch chop celebrations over the years, sent Embiid a D-X shirt — “Two Words” on the front, “Suck It” on the back. Embiid put the shirt on backwards for his availability.

Yeah, Joel Embiid is back.