After a one-game layoff following the discovery of a small meniscus tear in his right knee, Joel Embiid returned to the Philadelphia 76ers' lineup for Sunday's 128-124 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Embiid showed little rust in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals clash. The MVP finalist scored a game-high 39 points, adding nine rebounds, four blocks, and a steal in 38 minutes of action.
The 27-year-old sat out the 76ers' series-clinching Game 5 win over the Washington Wizards last week and remained questionable to play Sunday until just prior to tipoff.
Philadelphia is looking to exorcise the demons of second-round failures past against the Hawks. The 76ers haven't progressed beyond the second round since Allen Iverson led them to the 2001 NBA Finals.