The Philadelphia 76ers have been waiting 3 1/2 weeks to get a full 33 minutes out of Joel Embiid.
They finally got it Friday night, but it came in a 98-86 loss to the Orlando Magic that dropped the 76ers to 2-10.
"Usually with me it takes two or three or four games to get to myself. Today was a big step in the right direction," Embiid said after finishing with 20 points and eight rebounds in a game that got away from the 76ers in the fourth quarter. "We're a new group. We were just not organized. I thought our defense was fine, but starting with me we started turning the ball over. Offensively, we were indecisive. Stuff that we can fix."
Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP who missed Philadelphia's first 10 games due to "knee management" and a three-game suspension, had six turnovers and missed 10 of 15 shots from the floor, including all five of his 3-point attempts.
"In the second half my legs were a little tight and I felt like every shot I was taking was short," he said.
