Embiid: Constant knee swelling has been 'extremely depressing'

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was having a hard time sitting out the past few months because of the swelling in his knee.

"It's been extremely depressing," he said, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "It's something that hasn't been figured out, and it's been extremely annoying, because I would love to play every single game."

Embiid added: "Just trying to figure it out. There's no injury. Just between the swelling ... we've got to get it figured out. That's it."

The 30-year-old returned from a seven-game absence on Sunday, scoring 31 points and 12 rebounds in the Sixers' victory over the Chicago Bulls. He also missed the first nine contests of the season due to the knee issue and a suspension for pushing a columnist.

He shared the court with costars Tyrese Maxey and Paul George for 26 minutes in the win, the most time the trio has spent in game action together since playing six minutes in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in November. George had his own knee injury, while Maxey suffered a hamstring strain.

"It starts with health," Embiid said. "It felt good to have the guys on the floor. I believe if we're healthy, and we're on the floor, we have a chance against anybody, and I like what we have.

"I think the whole thing is about health ... that's what it comes down to. I wish I could have been playing from the beginning. I would love to play every single game, every single minute, but sometimes your body just says, 'No,' and you can't do nothing about it. All you can do is just keep working to fix it and get better."

The Sixers have now won four of their last five contests, bringing them to 12th place in the Eastern Conference with a 7-15 record. They host the Indiana Pacers on Friday.