Tyrese Maxey, Sixers discuss having Joel Embiid with them vs. Magic

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers were unable to have Joel Embiid on the floor in Wednesday's play-in matchup with the Orlando Magic, but he was able to at least be with them on the sidelines.

Embiid showed up in the locker room pregame and it gave the Sixers a big boost. The big fella is sidelined due to an appendectomy that he had on April 9 so Philadelphia will have to keep working and moving forward without the 2023 MVP winner for the time being.

With that being said, the Sixers were able to clinch a playoff spot with a 109-97 win over the Magic with Embiid sitting on the sidelines with them. Having the big fella with them is a big lift for everybody, especially, for Tyrese Maxey.

"Huge man, huge," Maxey said of having Embiid there. "Kyle (Lowry) called me two days ago. So, Monday, he called me. He said, ‘Man, what do you think about Joel coming to the game? Like, it just be a huge lift.’ I'm, like ‘Yeah, if he can. If he’s up to it,’ and we didn't need to ask him. I said, just, if he can, he will, and he was there. You know what I mean? I talked to him via phone, and I was surprised to see him there. I gave him a big hug. I was glad to see him and his spirits are high."

Embiid seemed to surprise his teammates a bit that he was there. He certainly surprised his coach as Nick Nurse was going through the game plan with everybody before he turned around and saw Embiid in the film session.

"He was questionable whether he was going to be able to get here tonight because of some of the stuff they're doing, but I didn't even realize he was over there," Nurse smiled after the win. "The film started, and I looked over and he was sitting in his seat and had a big smile on his face, and most of the other guys didn't know he was there either. So, they asked him how he was. He said he feels good. He smiled. Some of the players said hello to him and all that kind of stuff. So it's good to have him around."

There is little chance the Sixers will have him in Round 1 against the Boston Celtics as he continues his recovery, but if Embiid can be there and provide an emotional lift, then the big fella is finding ways to contribute in this instance.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Tyrese Maxey, Sixers discuss having Joel Embiid with them vs. Magic