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He may not be eligible for an MVP award this season, but Joel Embiid arguably was the MVP of Tuesday night’s game against the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.

Embiid’s return after a two-month layoff because of knee surgery couldn’t have come at a better time as the Sixers fight for playoff positioning with six regular-season games left.

He finished with a game-high 24 points and played 29 minutes in the 109-105 win, powering the Sixers’ rally as “MVP” chants cascaded down — just like they did back in January.

Next: The Sixers hit the road for a contest at Miami (7:30 p.m., NBCSP).

— Maria McIlwain, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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The Phillies introduced blue caps in April 1994, hoping to capitalize on the popularity of the magical 1993 season. Other teams were starting to unveil alternate uniforms, so the Phillies decided to join in by designing a cap for day games. It did not go well. Matt Breen has the story.

Bryce Harper hit three home runs (yes, really!), including a grand slam, in the Phillies’ 9-4 win over the Reds on Tuesday night.

After a disastrous appearance in the series opener, Connor Brogdon was designated for assignment and a familiar name was called up from triple A.

Next: Weather permitting, the Phillies will close out their series with the Reds today (4:05 p.m., NBCSP). Zack Wheeler (0-0, 0.00) will start against Reds right-hander Frankie Montas (1-0, 0.00).

Not so long ago, Reed Blankenship was an undrafted rookie out of Middle Tennessee State. But he impressed the Eagles’ brass, enough to earn a contract extension.

Now, he’s earning bonuses so high he thought they were some sort of April Fool’s joke, but he still feels like he “has a chip on [his] shoulder.”

Keeping Blankenship in Philadelphia for the foreseeable future is just part of the puzzle as the Eagles seek to fill holes defensively. Olivia Reiner takes a look at where the defense stands under new coordinator Vic Fangio.

As the lights shine even brighter on women’s basketball this week, Lucy Olsen won’t be starring in viral moments from the Final Four in Cleveland. But she’ll be playing for a championship nonetheless, as Villanova takes on Illinois in the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament title game.

Sure, it isn’t the NCAA Tournament, which Olsen and the Wildcats reached last season. But it’s still a championship, and still a spotlight for Olsen, the nation’s third-leading scorer who has a year of eligibility remaining.

So here’s the question: Where will she spend it? There are already more than 1,000 women’s basketball players in the transfer portal, and Olsen, with her 6,000-plus Instagram followers and obvious talent, could garner name, image, and likeness deals valued in the tens of thousands. It’s money Villanova’s NIL collective has — and should use to keep her on the Main Line, The Inquirer’s Jeff Neiburg writes.

John Tortorella probably should be a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, as the Flyers are in playoff contention after being projected to be a bottom-five team in preseason. But could his future with the Flyers actually be in jeopardy?

His latest rant on Monday once again showed he’s not everybody’s cup of tea, as he lit into almost his entire team after a 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders. Tortorella has two more years on his contract, but he wasn’t president Keith Jones or general manager Danny Brière’s hire. If his prickly personality and beliefs don’t align with the new management’s vision, could the Flyers make a change? Mike Sielski isn’t at that point yet, but he’s seen this show unfold before ...

Next: The Flyers return to the ice Friday in Buffalo (7 p.m., NBCSP).

He was a legendary WWE referee and even has his own action figure. But before his decades in the ring, Mike Chioda was a teenager from South Jersey working a summer job when he got a strange request.

Andre the Giant needed vodka and wine. Chioda had to score it.

After that, he worked his way up through the company, became a favorite of The Rock, and even took a steel chair to the face the last time WrestleMania was in Philly. But it all started with $100 outside a liquor store in Wildwood.

Next: WrestleMania begins Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field (7 p.m., Peacock).

We asked you: Who was the Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four in 2018 when Villanova won the NCAA championship?

Answer: A: Donte DiVincenzo. Now part of the Villanova cohort playing for the New York Knicks, DiVincenzo scored 31 points on 10-of-15 shooting to take down Michigan in the national title game. Stephen T. was first with the correct answer.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Alex Coffey, Scott Lauber, EJ Smith, Olivia Reiner, Gina Mizell, Mike Sielski, Jackie Spiegel, Matt Breen, Josh Tolentino, Maria McIlwain, Gabriela Carroll, and Josh Verlin.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for reading along! I’ll be back in your inboxes tomorrow morning. — Maria