Joel Embiid went to the locker room after a knee-to-knee collision in the first quarter of the Philadelphia 76ers’ 123-112 win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday. By the second quarter, he was back attacking the rim for a dunk.

The 76ers center entered the game as questionable due to right foot plantar fascia injury management, and his return drew an immediate online reaction, with some viewers questioning how serious the scare had been.

Joel Embiid’s Quick Return Draws Skepticism After First-Quarter Knee Scare

Early in the game, Embiid collided with a Raptors player while navigating a screen and went down to the floor. Philadelphia’s medical staff came out to check on him before he eventually got up and limped toward the locker room on his own.

NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark noted that several teammates came onto the court before the former NBA MVP headed to the locker room.

The absence did not last long.

Embiid returned before the end of the quarter and converted a 3-point play with 1:53 remaining. Then, with 5:12 left in the second, he drove past Jakob Poeltl and threw down a dunk to tie the game at 47 after Philadelphia had trailed by 17.

Underdog NBA posted the drive and wrote, “Joel Embiid moving just fine after briefly exiting the game earlier.”

Lakers insider Anthony Irwin responded: “(this isn’t just fine lol).”

Others went further.

One viewer brought LeBron James into the reaction after the 41-year-old was ruled out Thursday with low back/sciatica management: “Must have been his best LeBron imitation.”

Video of the play, however, showed clear contact between the players and Embiid limping afterward.

“So he faked an injury dramatically and came back and played? I am shocked,” one fan tweeted.

Another questioned the severity of the scare after watching Embiid return to action.

“Joel Embiid continues to be the most egregious flopper in NBA history. He acted like he tore his ACL minutes before this highlight,” the fan remarked.

“Quit falling for it guys,” another added.

Embiid continued to move well enough to throw down another dunk early in the third quarter off a VJ Edgecombe feed.

The seven-time All-Star finished with 20 points, all of them after returning from the locker room, on 7-for-17 shooting in 28 minutes. Philadelphia also outscored Toronto by 11 with him on the floor.

Embiid remained in the game after returning and finished without another apparent issue, easing some of the concern that followed the early scare.