Joel Embiid wears incredible face-mask and goggles to make his NBA Playoffs debut… and everyone’s making the same joke

JOEL EMBIID returning to action on Thursday night wearing an incredible face-mask and goggles combo to make his NBA Playoffs debut.

The Philadelphia 76ers centre, 24, returned from injury for Game 3 of the first-round clash against Miami Heat - with the scores tied at 1-1 - and starred in the big win.

NBA All-Star Embiid suffered a broken eye socket last month and had missed the last ten games, but didn't miss a beat when it mattered.

The man known as "The Process" was renamed "Phantom of the Process" for the evening... and put up 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks in the 128-108 win.

After losing Game 2 with Embiid still on the sidelines, Philly needed to start well - but Miami were holding their own on their home turf.

Then Embiid took over in the fourth quarter scoring seven unanswered points by himself to put the game out of reach.

However, it wasn't easy for the All-Star, who - by his own admission - struggled all night with the facial attire.

The mask fell-off and goggles were left wonky more than once; at one stage Heat star Justise Winslow even stood on the mask.

PLAY-OFF TIME NBA playoffs 2018: Start time TONIGHT, live streaming and TV channel, who is playing, when are Finals?

After the win to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, Embiid revealed: "It was annoying. But that was the only way I could play in this game...

"If I wore the mask and protected my face with goggles. I had to work through it and I did."

But the ever-confident, always-outspoken Embiid - on Winslow treading on his protective gear - added: "It's going to take much more than that to get me out of this series.

"I'm going to be a nightmare for them too."

As Embiid took to the court in his full-on mask, everyone on Twitter was making the same joke...