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Sixers center Joel Embiid exits game briefly with knee injury, returns after halftime

The 76ers center injured his left knee after scoring on a Euro step in the second quarter.

Joel Embiid (center) left the game after the driving to the basket late in the second quarter but returned to the court after halftime.
Joel Embiid (center) left the game after the driving to the basket late in the second quarter but returned to the court after halftime.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

The 76ers had a scare when Joel Embiid went to the locker room with 1 minute, 15 seconds left in the first half after appearing to injure his left knee. But after being checked out, the seven-time All-Star was back on the court at the start of the second half.

Embiid injured the knee after scoring on a Euro step to the basket 23 seconds earlier. This was Embiid’s fifth game back after having knee surgery on Feb. 6. The reigning MVP tore his left meniscus on Jan. 30 against the Golden State Warriors.

Before the injury, Embiid had 21 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in 17:41 of game action in the first half. He made 6-of-12 shots, including 3-of-5 three-pointers. He also hit 6-of-7 foul shots.

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The Sixers led, 68-61, at the half.

But the 7-foot-2, 280-pounder emerged from the locker room after intermission and scored five of the Sixers’ first seven points to give them a 76-64 lead.