Joel Embiid has begun strength and conditioning program, with a Game 3 return looking more real by the minute

Drew Smith
April 20, 2026
Sixers
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Joel Embiid watched his team get embarrassed by 32 points in Boston on Sunday afternoon, sat on that bench in a suit while the Celtics turned Game 1 into a scrimmage, and apparently decided he’d seen enough.

The Sixers announced that Joel Embiid, roughly 11 days removed from an emergency appendectomy, has begun a strength and conditioning program in Philadelphia. That is a significant step forward and the timeline I’ve been talking about since the surgery is starting to look more and more realistic.

The Return of Joel Embiid is Immeninent

The 76ers have reeled me back in to believe pic.twitter.com/mjoNirFjBL https://t.co/OEEdcleXHb
— Agent 0 (@FT_Merchant05) April 20, 2026

The typical return window for a laparoscopic appendectomy is two to three weeks for a return to strenuous activity. Game 3 is Friday night in South Philly. That’s just over two weeks from the surgery date.

I’m not a doctor and I’m not going to pretend I know exactly where Joel Embiid is physically right now but a guy who has played through a torn meniscus in the playoffs, who has suited up with a broken face, who has dragged himself onto the court through injuries that would sideline most human beings, is not going to sit at home and watch this team get swept without at least trying to come back.

Starting strength and conditioning now means he could theoretically ramp up to on-court work in the next couple of days. If that goes well, a Game 3 return is absolutely on the table. Even a limited Embiid changes the entire complexion of this series. He doesn’t have to be MVP Embiid.

He just has to be out there. His presence alone shifts how Boston defends the Sixers, opens up space for Maxey, gives Drummond and Bona a break from carrying the center minutes, and most importantly tells this team that their best player is willing to fight through hell to be on the floor with them.

At the very least, it can’t get any worse than what we watched on Sunday. The Sixers will try to rebound tomorrow night in Boston for Game 2. Whether Embiid is back by Friday or not, this team needs to show a hell of a lot more than what they gave us in Game 1.

But I’m telling you right now. Keep your eyes on Friday.