Two years to the day after Joel Embiid dropped 70 points on the Spurs, the big man delivered another January 22nd masterpiece. This time, it wasn’t about the scoring binge. It was about proving he’s actually back.
Embiid Logs Season-High 46 Minutes in Triple-Double Performance
Embiid posted 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in the 76ers’ 128-122 overtime victory over the Rockets on Thursday night at Wells Fargo Center. But here’s the stat that matters most: 46 minutes. The most he’s played in a regular season game in over three years.
46 minutes. Let that sink in for a second. This is the same guy who played 39 total games last season because his knees were basically held together with duct tape and prayers. The same guy who spent most of last year looking like he was running through quicksand. And now he’s out here logging 46 minutes like it’s 2019 again.
“Maybe I should have a baby on Jan. 22,” Embiid joked after the game, grinning like someone who just realized his body might actually work again. “It seems to be a good day. So, me and my wife when I get home, we’re probably going to talk about that, start making those calculations.”
Only Joel Embiid celebrates a triple-double by planning his next kid’s birthday. This is why we love this guy.
Maxey Scores 36 as Durant Leads Rockets with Matching Total
Tyrese Maxey kept the 76ers alive down the stretch, finishing with 36 points and 10 assists. He scored six points in overtime, including the dagger dunk with 6.4 seconds left that sealed it. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 26 points, hitting four of five from deep. Paul George returned from a two-game absence with 10 points, which, sure, not exactly the Paul George Experience we were promised, but at least he was out there.
Kevin Durant led Houston with 36 points on 5-of-8 shooting from three. Amen Thompson chipped in 17 points and nine assists. Reed Sheppard nailed four threes off the bench for 14 points. The Rockets had won three straight coming in and looked like they might steal this one on the road.
Controversial Non-Call Sends Game to Overtime
They should have. With 13.2 seconds left in regulation and the game tied at 115, Durant swatted Maxey’s layup attempt. Except if you watch the replay, it’s goaltending. Clear as day. Ball hit the glass, Durant blocked it after. That’s goaltending every single time.
But the refs didn’t call it. And because they didn’t call it on the floor, Nick Nurse couldn’t challenge. That’s the rule. You can’t review what wasn’t called. So instead of Philly winning 117-115, we got overtime.
“Look, they are supposed to call those,” Nurse said afterward, which is coach-speak for “We got screwed.” “If it is even close, they are supposed to call those and then go and review and get the play right.”
He’s not wrong. This is exactly the kind of play the NBA supposedly fixed with all their review rules. But when the refs swallow their whistles, all those rules become meaningless. Houston got a lifeline they probably shouldn’t have gotten.
76ers Control Overtime After Early Five-Point Burst
And then they blew it anyway.
The 76ers opened overtime with five straight points. George hit a three, VJ Edgecombe grabbed an offensive board and put it back. Houston tied it 120-120 on a Durant three and Amen Thompson layup, but Philly closed on a 6-2 run. Maxey’s dunk with 6.4 seconds left iced it.
The win moved Philadelphia to 24-19, good for fifth in the East, one spot ahead of Cleveland. They’re only 1.5 games behind the Knicks, who come to town Saturday. This is what contention looks like when your franchise center can actually stay on the floor.
The Real Story: Embiid Looks Like Embiid Again
Because that’s the story here. Not the triple-double. Not even the overtime drama. It’s that Embiid looks like Embiid again.
He shot 10-for-19 from the floor and 11-for-12 from the free throw line. His three-point shot is still broken at 26.3 percent for the season, but everything else works. He’s shooting 54 percent on twos. He’s getting to the line. He’s blocking shots, grabbing boards, throwing dimes. Paul George said he’s been watching it happen at practice.
Paul George Sees the Embiid Renaissance Up Close
“Him dunking, blocking shots, going for rebounds, that takes a lot on him,” George said. “He’s starting to feel it, he’s getting better and that competitive juice is starting to flow. You see it even with him at practice. You can see he was coming back, he was starting to form back into the Joel Embiid that we all have seen him dominate in this league.”
From Lottery Team to Contender in One Season
Last season at this time, Embiid was basically done. The 76ers were tanking, desperately trying to keep their top-six protected pick. They got lucky, kept it, took VJ Edgecombe third overall. George was hurt. The whole thing was a disaster.
Fast forward one year and they’re fighting for playoff positioning with a healthy Embiid, a blossoming Maxey who made the All-Star starting lineup, and enough depth to survive George’s load management nights. This is what the plan was supposed to look like when they signed George 18 months ago.
“Yeah,” George said when asked if this matched his vision. “And not to discredit any team that beat us, but if you look at the losses, a lot of those were very winnable games that we could very well be top two, top three in the East.”
He’s right. The 76ers are 12-12 at home, which is mediocre, but most of those losses were tight. They’ve been good enough to compete with anyone. They just need to string together wins.
It starts with keeping Embiid upright. He still can’t play back-to-backs, which is annoying but understandable given the mileage on those knees. But if he can give them 40-plus minutes every other night? With Maxey playing like a legitimate All-NBA guard? That’s a dangerous team in a wide-open East.
Rockets Miss Chance to Steal Road Game
The Rockets dropped to 26-16 with the loss. They’re still fourth in the West, but this was a winnable road game they let slip away. Durant played great. Their young guys competed. They just couldn’t get stops when it mattered in overtime.
Houston was without Fred VanVleet (ACL repair), Steven Adams (left ankle sprain), and Aaron Holiday (back spasms). That’s a lot of missing bodies. But they had their chances. They led 107-101 late in the fourth before Maxey caught fire and scored 11 points in the final four minutes to force overtime.
This was supposed to be Houston’s game to steal. Instead, it became Embiid’s reminder that he’s still one of the best players on the planet when healthy. The triple-double was the 15th of his career. The 46 minutes were proof his body can handle the load again.
“I’m just glad to be consistent,” Embiid said. “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.”
That’s all the 76ers need. Consistent Joel Embiid. Not 70-point Joel Embiid. Just the guy who shows up every other night, plays 40-plus minutes, and dominates both ends. That guy is good enough to win a title in this conference.
Two years ago on January 22nd, Embiid scored 70 and everyone lost their minds. This January 22nd, he logged 46 minutes and proved his body works again. Guess which one matters more for the 76ers’ championship hopes?
Yeah. Exactly.
