Joel Embiid Could Return To Sixers On Tuesday: Reports

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Sixers could have superstar center and reigning MVP back for their game Tuesday night, according to multiple reports. His return would be a much-needed boost for a team that entered the season as a title contender but has dropped to the eighth seed in the east in recent days.

Embiid's return has not been confirmed by the team but is "imminent," sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. It was later confirmed separately by the New York Post.

Without Embiid, the Sixers have floundered to a 14-27 record, including going 11-18 since he was put on the shelf on Jan. 30.

Embiid was the frontrunner in the MVP race before he went down, putting together career best numbers in a slew of categories for the third year in a row. He led the league with an absolutely dominant 35.3 points per game before his injury, and put together one of the greatest performances in Philadelphia basketball history with a 70 point game in January.

The Sixers have just seven games left in the regular season and they're now ticketed for a "play-in" spot as the eighth seed. The NBA playoffs start with the 7th and 8th seeds playing against each other, as well as the 9th and 10th seeds. The winner of the 7 vs. 8 game advances, while the loser plays the winner of the 9 vs. 10 game to determine the final seed.

The Sixers are still just two games behind the sixth spot, currently held by the Indiana Pacers, well within reach in the final games of the season.