PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid marked the second anniversary of his 70-point eruption with another milestone performance, turning in 32 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers outlasted the Houston Rockets 128-122 in overtime Thursday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The reigning MVP logged 46 minutes—his heaviest regular-season workload in more than three years—and shot 10-for-19 from the field and 11-for-12 at the line. Head coach Nick Nurse called the stretch “a pretty big step forward” for a center who was limited to 19 games last season because of knee issues.
Embiid, who still is limited on back-to-back sets, joked afterward that Jan. 22 “seems to be a good day,” quipping that he and his wife might plan to have a child on that date.
Tyrese Maxey, recently voted an All-Star starter, supplied 36 points and 10 assists, while Paul George added support at both ends. Houston (26-16) countered with 36 points from Kevin Durant and appeared to benefit from a missed goaltending call on a Maxey layup with 1.1 seconds left in regulation.
Philadelphia (24-19) scored the first five points of overtime and never trailed again, avoiding a 1-4 homestand. “We were just resilient tonight,” Maxey said. “Had to fight through some adversity.”
Embiid’s inside game remains sharp—54 percent on two-pointers and 86 percent at the stripe—but his three-point accuracy sits at a career-low 26.3 percent. George said he noticed the former MVP’s return to form when Embiid began “dunking, blocking shots, going for rebounds” in practice sessions.
The victory kept the Sixers in the Eastern Conference’s top six, 1½ games behind the New York Knicks, whom they face Saturday. Last season the franchise flirted with the lottery before its protected pick conveyed and became rookie standout VJ Edgecombe at No. 3 overall.
George, who joined Philadelphia in free agency 18 months ago, said the current trajectory matches his expectations: “Night and day in terms of where the vision we had for last year was.”
For Embiid, the objective is simpler. “I’m just glad to be consistent,” he said. “Whenever I can play, just happy to be consistent and playing every game, basically.”
Source: ESPN
