Joel Embiid’s Resurgence Leads 76ers to Thrilling Overtime Victory
PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers secured a dramatic 128-122 victory in overtime over the Houston Rockets at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday night, with Joel Embiid putting up a 32-point triple-double on the two-year anniversary of his 70-point performance against the San Antonio Spurs. Embiid’s impressive display, which included 15 rebounds and 10 assists, marked a significant milestone in his recovery from knee injuries that limited him to just 19 ineffective games last season.
According to 76ers coach Nick Nurse, Embiid’s performance is “certainly a pretty big step forward” in his recovery. Embiid himself seemed to be feeling more like his old self, cracking jokes about the milestone and suggesting that he and his wife might try to have a baby on January 22, given the success he’s had on that date.
A Return to Form for Embiid
For the 76ers, Embiid’s resurgence is a welcome sight, particularly given his dominance in the NBA prior to his injuries. As the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2023, Embiid has consistently been one of the top scorers in the league, and his performance on Thursday night suggests that he’s beginning to round back into form. With 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, Embiid led the 76ers to victory, shooting 10-for-19 from the floor and 11-for-12 from the free throw line.
While Embiid’s 3-point shot is still uncharacteristically off, shooting a career-low 26.3% from beyond the arc, his shooting numbers elsewhere are right in line with his prior numbers. He has also begun to show more mobility defensively, which is a promising sign for the 76ers. As teammate Paul George noted, “Him dunking, blocking shots, going for rebounds and that takes a lot on him… He’s starting to feel it, he’s getting better and that competitive juice and everything is starting to flow.”
A Team on the Rise
The 76ers (24-19) needed Embiid’s strong performance, as well as a stellar showing from Tyrese Maxey (36 points and 10 assists), to hold off the Rockets (26-16). Despite a potentially missed goaltending call on a Maxey layup with just over a second remaining in regulation, the 76ers were able to recover and secure the win in overtime. As Maxey noted, “I think we were just resilient tonight… Had to fight through some adversity… we stay with it.”
The victory keeps the 76ers inside the top six spots in the Eastern Conference standings, just 1½ games behind their opponent on Saturday, the New York Knicks. As Paul George observed, this is a far cry from where the team was last year, when Embiid was on the verge of being shut down for the season and the 76ers were hoping for lottery luck to retain their top-six protected draft pick. With Embiid’s resurgence and the team’s overall improvement, the 76ers are beginning to look like a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference.
A Focus on Health and Consistency
For the 76ers, the key to success will be keeping Embiid upright and healthy, particularly in a wide-open Eastern Conference. As Embiid himself noted, “I’m just glad to be consistent… Obviously I’m not allowed to play back-to-backs yet, so just whenever I can play, just happy to be consistent and playing every game, basically.” With Embiid’s continued improvement and the team’s growing cohesion, the 76ers are poised to make a push for the playoffs and potentially contend for a championship.
