Joel Embiid returning to form, contributes significantly in matchup against Rockets

PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers not only secured a thrilling 128-122 win against the Houston Rockets at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday night, but on the two-year anniversary of Joel Embiid’s 70-point game against the San Antonio Spurs, the star center achieved a triple-double with 32 points.

More significantly, he logged 46 minutes of play, marking the highest total in any regular-season game for him in over three years.

“It’s certainly a pretty big step forward, I think, for sure,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse remarked afterward.

In a clear indication that Embiid is regaining his former self, he made light of the occasion with humor.

“I was just saying after the game,” Embiid said with a smile, “that maybe I should plan for a baby on January 22nd. It seems to be a good day.”

“So, my wife and I, when I get home, we’re probably going to discuss [that], start making those calculations to ensure we aim for a baby on January 22nd.”

For the 76ers, the key takeaway is that as they approach the midpoint of the 2025-26 season, their star center is beginning to return to the form that earned him the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award in 2023, and has made him one of the league’s top scorers for much of the past decade, despite knee injuries limiting him to just 19 ineffective games last season.

He certainly demonstrated his capabilities in this game, finishing with 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists — all season highs — while shooting 10-for-19 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free-throw line.

Although Embiid’s 3-point shooting remains uncharacteristically low, as he is hitting a career-low 26.3% from beyond the arc, his shooting percentages elsewhere — 54% on 2-point attempts and 86% from the foul line — align with his previous statistics, and he has begun to exhibit increased mobility on defense as time progresses.

“Him dunking, blocking shots, going for rebounds takes a lot out of him,” Paul George noted when asked when he began to see Embiid returning to form this season. “And so, he’s starting to feel it, he’s improving, and that competitive spirit is beginning to flow. You can see it even in practice, and it’s evident he is coming back, starting to revert to the Joel Embiid we have all witnessed dominate in this league.”

“So it’s definitely refreshing on a personal level, dealing with injuries and the toll they take on you. It’s always great to see someone begin to return to their former self.”

The 76ers (24-19) required all of Embiid’s contributions, along with another impressive performance from newly named All-Star starter Tyrese Maxey (36 points and 10 assists), to fend off the Rockets (26-16), as Kevin Durant also scored 36 points and Houston benefited from a missed goaltending call on a Maxey layup with just over a second left in regulation.

However, Philadelphia opened overtime with five consecutive points and never trailed in the extra period, enabling the 76ers to recover and avoid falling to 1-4 in their last five games — all played in South Philadelphia.

“I think we were just resilient tonight,” Maxey stated. “We had to push through some challenges … we stayed committed.”

Consequently, the 76ers have maintained their position within the top six spots in the Eastern Conference standings and are only 1½ games behind their opponent on Saturday, the New York Knicks. This is a significant contrast to last year, when Embiid was on the verge of being sidelined for the season, George was enduring an injury-plagued campaign, and the 76ers were hoping for lottery luck to retain their top-6 protected draft pick, which ultimately became star rookie VJ Edgecombe with the third overall selection.

“Yeah,” George replied when asked if this is what he envisioned when he signed with Philadelphia as a free agent 18 months ago. “And not to undermine any team that defeated us, but if you examine the losses, many of those were very winnable games that could have placed us in the top two or three in the East. But yes, it’s a stark contrast in terms of the vision we had for last year, which is what we anticipated. Being a team that could be a force and compete. Ultimately, just competing, and when the chips fall, anything can happen. So, I believe that’s what we are designed to be. We just need to keep pushing forward.”

This starts with keeping Embiid healthy and fit — especially in a truly competitive Eastern Conference.

“I’m just pleased to be consistent,” Embiid stated. “Obviously, I’m not permitted to play back-to-backs yet, so whenever I can play, I’m just happy to be consistent and participating in every game, essentially.”