After his season-best outing against the Indiana Pacers on Friday, Joel Embiid explained why he's largely been taking a backseat to his teammates this year.

Now 31 and again attempting to work his way back to health, Philadelphia's superstar center is learning what he's still capable of.

PHILADELPHIA — When Joel Embiid grabbed the rebound, waved off his point guard, dribbled the ball the length of the floor, then finished the sequence off with a basket, he knew he was in a good place physically.

VJ Edgecombe added 22 points and five assists, Paul George added 23 points, six rebounds, and five assists, and Dominick Barlow had 10 points and eight rebounds. Quentin Grimes added 10 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.

It's 11:05 on Friday night and Joel Embiid is in front of his locker in the bowels of Xfinity Mobile Arena. He's the last Sixer in the locker roo

“Big Blue,” “The Bombardier from Baton Rouge,” “Bombardier,” “Dixie Dandy” and “Slim.” I can’t think of a much cooler nickname for a scorer than Bombardier. Happy birthday, Bombardier!

The NBA has fined the Philadelphia 76ers $100,000 for violating injury reporting rules concerning Joel Embiid.

It’s been a brutal season of never-ending despondency for Joel Embiid. The 76ers’ star center has only played 13 of the first 44 games of the 2024-25 season because of various injuries. Veteran fans of the Sixers know that Embiid’s frequent health-related “Did Not Plays” (DNPs) aren’t new.

The Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers meet Friday at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. ET.