
Kyle Lowry: C-plus
It appears as if Lowry and Embiid were in sync in this one. Lowry hit the big fella with a pocket pass in the lane which led to a smooth jumper for Embiid and Lowry was able to just run some offense in this one. He didn’t look for his own offense as much, but with Embiid back, the Sixers don’t need Lowry to score much. He just needs to take advantage of the looks he does get within the offense. Not an overly impactful game, but he didn’t hurt the team either.
Cam Payne: B
Once again filling in for Maxey, Payne did a little bit of everything for the Sixers in this one. He stuffed the box score as he was contributing on the glass and with his passing as well as his shooting and scoring on the offensive end. He looks for his offense and that is going to be vital for this team off the bench in the postseason. Not an efficient game for him in this one, but he was aggressive with his offense and gave Philadelphia good production.
Kelly Oubre Jr.: A
This was a nice defensive game for Oubre. He was active on that end of the floor and was able to bother the Thunder out on the perimeter to help the Sixers on that end. On the offensive end, he was taking jumpers early and he was struggling to find a rhythm in this one. He has got to attack the rim early in games and see the ball go through before he settles for jumpers. Rhythm is a key for Oubre at all times. He did get some important triples to fall in the fourth quarter as he shook off the slow start. His overall play in the fourth quarter was phenomenal after a pretty slow start through the first three quarters.
Tobias Harris: A-minus
Harris came out firing to start this one. He was aggressively looking for his offense and was able to make an impact with his outside shooting in the early going which forced the Thunder to pay attention to him and take some defensive focus off Embiid. All night long, Harris was a reliable source of offense from deep and helped keep the scoreboard moving for Philadelphia. The Sixers needed his production all night long. He was also helpful on the glass as he used his size and length in that department.
Joel Embiid: A
The first stint back for Embiid lasted a little over four minutes and his conditioning looked fine. There were a few bad turnovers early, but he looked like his conditioning was fine in terms of getting up and down the floor. As the game wore on, one could see he had some understandable rust, but he was able to gain some valuable experience playing with the new guys and being able to get everybody in the right spots around him. He had a huge steal on Josh Giddey with the game on the line and he made his free throws. Overall, Embiid played well for somebody who hasn't in two months. There are going to be some obstacles to overcome, but the big fella being back on the floor is a big positive step forward.
Paul Reed: A-minus
The first stint for Reed in this one was fantastic. He attacked the glass with aggression and was active around the basket. This was another one of those "less is more" performances for Reed as he continues to grow as a player in this league. He made some big plays in the second half as well to keep Philadelphia afloat when Embiid was off the floor. There is a lot to like about Reed's game when he is able to just focus on providing energy and attacking the glass.
Buddy Hield: B
The first bucket for Hield in this one was off action with Embiid. The two of them played off each other and Hield was able to score off a dribble hand-off. If Hield and Embiid can grow this tandem in the final games of the season going into the playoffs, it will be a big development for them in the postseason. Overall, Hield played well. There were some defensive issues with former Sixer Isaiah Joe, but Hield made a nice impact in this one.
Nic Batum: B
The veteran wasn't able to make the offensive impact he had in Toronto on Sunday, but he was tough on the defensive end. He had a lot of really nice moments on that end to bother the Thunder and give them a lot of trouble. He also made a couple of hustle plays on the glass which shows his value to this team beyond the box score. One has to like what Batum brings.
KJ Martin: B-minus
The Sixers needed a boost in the toughness department in the early going so they turned to Martin. The athletic forward hopped off the bench and gave a spark on the defensive end while also having a nice move at the basket to contribute there.
The Philadelphia 76ers welcomed superstar Joel Embiid back to the lineup on Tuesday as they played host to the Oklahoma City Thunder looking to get back on track a bit. The big fella hadn’t played in a game since Jan. 30 and the Sixers needed him back on the floor in order to find a rhythm again with a full squad.
Philadelphia was missing Tyrese Maxey for a second consecutive game, but OKC was missing star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as well as rising star Jalen Williams. The Sixers definitely had some rust to work through with Embiid back on the floor, but they were able to work through all of that in order to walk away with a much-needed 109-105 victory. Embiid had 24 points, seven assists, and six rebounds in his return to the floor.
Kelly Oubre Jr. had 25 points and six rebounds, Tobias Harris had 18 points and five rebounds, Cam Payne had 10 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, and Paul Reed added 12 and nine rebounds. Buddy Hield had seven off the bench.
Here are the player grades after the win:

Sixers center Joel Embiid fighting for a loose ball. Photo credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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