PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid returned from his latest injury to score 41 points and grab 10 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 124-115 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.
This was Embiid’s 16th consecutive 30-10 game. Tyrese Maxey added 27 points for the Sixers.
“I think we’ve got some rhythm, we’ve got some confidence and we don’t have to get too deep into minutes,” coach Nick Nurse said.
Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 19 points. Dillon Brooks scored 18 runs.
The 29-year-old Embiid has missed the last three games because of left knee inflammation and the 76ers fell to 1-2. He played in just two games this month after missing all four games on the 76ers’ holiday road trip. The Sixers are 3-7 this season without Embiid, the reigning NBA MVP and two-time defending league scoring champion — who entered Monday’s matinee leading the NBA with 34.6 points.
Embiid’s health is certainly important for a Philadelphia team that hopes to make a deep postseason run.
However, his absence has jeopardized his candidacy for another MVP trophy.
The new collective bargaining agreement requires players, in most cases, to play in 65 regular-season games to be eligible for awards such as MVP or All-NBA teams. Embiid, who is playing his 8th NBA season, has crossed that threshold only twice – when he played a career-best 68 games in 2021-22 and 66 games last season.
He can only miss eight more games of the final 44 before he is no longer eligible for MVP.
“We look at the long term and what’s going to happen next,” Embiid said. “Hopefully it won’t increase again.”
When healthy – or, healthy enough – Embiid makes games easier and makes the Sixers contenders. Even if he had knee pain Monday, it didn’t show in a 13-point first quarter. Embiid certainly looked fine when he dropped 13 more in the second quarter.
Maxi and Tobias Harris hit consecutive 3s for a 42–23 lead in the second quarter, and when Embiid hit one just before halftime, it helped the Sixers take a 66–47 lead at the break.
The Rockets missed 10 of 15 3s in the first half and fell behind by 28 points.
“Generally, I don’t like the performance of our starters,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “We started it a little late, but you want to come out with the same intensity from the beginning.”
Embiid has scored at least 30 points in 17 consecutive games. He grabbed his 10th rebound in the fourth quarter with the Sixers leading 114–94.
Embiid made 12 of 21 shots and 16 of 17 free throws.
“He’s always been a high-level free-throw shooter,” Udoka said.
next
The Rockets play at New York on Wednesday.
The Sixers continue to move forward with Tuesday’s home game against Denver.
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