For the Sixers to finally get back on track, they needed a collective effort from their entire roster. Thursday's win over the Houston Rockets in overtime was just that – a testament to the team's depth and resilience.
Joel Embiid stole the show with his 45:36 minutes of playtime, eclipsing Tyrese Maxey's season-high total by nearly nine minutes. It was a career-defining performance from the dominant center, who continued to assert himself against smaller defenders. Despite some shaky plays in the fourth quarter, Embiid remained focused and determined, leveraging his size and strength to generate open looks for Maxey.
The question on everyone's mind after Thursday night was how much Embiid should be playing going forward. In a candid post-game interview, coach Nick Nurse declared that 45 minutes of playtime is a significant milestone for the center. Embiid had topped out at just under 36 minutes in regulation before Thursday, but now he seems to be ready for more.
In order to get the most out of their talented young core, the Sixers need to find ways to optimize their lineups and make adjustments on the fly. A big part of that will involve getting Paul George involved more on both ends of the floor. While George has been struggling with foul trouble in recent games, he was able to find his groove again down the stretch, scoring 10 points and making several clutch defensive plays.
Kelly Oubre Jr., who replaced Dominick Barlow in the starting lineup, added 26 points and brought a spark offensively that's been missing from the team lately. It's clear that Nurse is looking for more consistency on both ends of the floor from his players, particularly with Maxey emerging as the new leader of the team.
With a six-game winning streak under their belts, the Sixers are starting to look like a cohesive unit again. Embiid, George, Oubre, Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe appear to be the five best players on the roster right now. As Nurse continues to tweak his lineup and adjust his strategy, it's likely that we'll see more of these talented young players shine in the weeks to come.
The big question is whether this winning streak will carry over into the rest of the season. The Sixers still have a tough schedule ahead of them, but with Embiid playing at an elite level and George stepping up his defensive game, it's hard not to feel optimistic about their chances. One thing is for sure – with their talented young core leading the way, this team is well-equipped to make a deep playoff run.
For now, it's all about finding that next gear and sustaining this winning streak. As Embiid himself put it after Thursday night's game: "Maybe I should have a baby on Jan. 22." Whatever motivates him, the results are undeniable – the Sixers are back on track, and Joel Embiid is leading the way.
Joel Embiid stole the show with his 45:36 minutes of playtime, eclipsing Tyrese Maxey's season-high total by nearly nine minutes. It was a career-defining performance from the dominant center, who continued to assert himself against smaller defenders. Despite some shaky plays in the fourth quarter, Embiid remained focused and determined, leveraging his size and strength to generate open looks for Maxey.
The question on everyone's mind after Thursday night was how much Embiid should be playing going forward. In a candid post-game interview, coach Nick Nurse declared that 45 minutes of playtime is a significant milestone for the center. Embiid had topped out at just under 36 minutes in regulation before Thursday, but now he seems to be ready for more.
In order to get the most out of their talented young core, the Sixers need to find ways to optimize their lineups and make adjustments on the fly. A big part of that will involve getting Paul George involved more on both ends of the floor. While George has been struggling with foul trouble in recent games, he was able to find his groove again down the stretch, scoring 10 points and making several clutch defensive plays.
Kelly Oubre Jr., who replaced Dominick Barlow in the starting lineup, added 26 points and brought a spark offensively that's been missing from the team lately. It's clear that Nurse is looking for more consistency on both ends of the floor from his players, particularly with Maxey emerging as the new leader of the team.
With a six-game winning streak under their belts, the Sixers are starting to look like a cohesive unit again. Embiid, George, Oubre, Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe appear to be the five best players on the roster right now. As Nurse continues to tweak his lineup and adjust his strategy, it's likely that we'll see more of these talented young players shine in the weeks to come.
The big question is whether this winning streak will carry over into the rest of the season. The Sixers still have a tough schedule ahead of them, but with Embiid playing at an elite level and George stepping up his defensive game, it's hard not to feel optimistic about their chances. One thing is for sure – with their talented young core leading the way, this team is well-equipped to make a deep playoff run.
For now, it's all about finding that next gear and sustaining this winning streak. As Embiid himself put it after Thursday night's game: "Maybe I should have a baby on Jan. 22." Whatever motivates him, the results are undeniable – the Sixers are back on track, and Joel Embiid is leading the way.
joel embiid is literally unstoppable 
he's been carrying this team to wins and his performance last night was amazing!! 45 minutes of playtime? that's insane! 
tyrese maxey had an incredible season-high total too, and it's clear that the chemistry between them is strong 
paul george stepping up on defense is everything we need to see for this team to succeed 
can't wait to see what's next for these sixers... they're definitely on fire 
! But, gotta wonder, what's the plan for Paul George? He's been struggling with fouls lately, but when he's on, he's unstoppable 
. Can't wait to see if this winning streak carries over into the rest of the season 
they need to keep up tho 
he's like a whole different player 
and george needs more min too 
Oubre Jr is bringing that fire 
maxey is leadin the team tho 
6 game win streak and all that 
george needs more time on D too 
but overall r feeling hyped for these youngins 
️ finally getting that big win against Houston was a huge confidence booster for the team 
. now they just gotta keep it going and see how far this momentum takes them 
. also love how embiid took his game to the next level, that 45 mins of playtime isn't surprising but its about consistency 
that was hilarious! Embiid's joke about having a baby in January had me dying 
, but seriously though, he's been ON FIRE lately! 45 minutes of playtime for him? That's crazy talk 
but seriously though, when he's on his game, he's UNSTOPPABLE 
kelly oure Jr. brought that fire offensively too we need to see more of these sparkly moments from our young core and vj edgecombe is straight up ballin 
they're finally getting their act together 
can't let those easy baskets turn into points in the paint 26 from oubre jr is nice, but what about the rest of the team? maxey's gotta keep that energy going 
... I mean, he was dominating out there, but shouldn't he be getting more rest? On one hand, it's awesome to see him playing so well and asserting himself against smaller defenders 
. And what about George struggling with foul trouble in recent games? Shouldn't we be worried about him getting into more trouble instead of trying to get more out of him? 
it's awesome to see joel embiid asserting himself on the court and tyrese maxey emerging as a leader 
That guy is an absolute beast on the court! The win over Houston was huge and it's awesome that their young core is starting to gel – Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are really shining 
. Now they just need to keep this momentum going and see how far they can take it 