Paul George will sit out the first game of the 76ers’ back-to-back to end the week.
The forward will miss the game against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday at Xfinity Mobile Arena due to left knee injury recovery, which has included holding him out from playing on back-to-back nights.
The 6-foot-8, 220-pounder could be available to play on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum.
Sixers forward Paul George is averaging 13.5 points and 4.8 rebounds this season.
He’s not the only Sixers player unavailable to face the Warriors.
Kelly Oubre Jr. (sprained left knee) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) will remain sidelined. Joel Embiid (left and right knee injury recovery) was upgraded to questionable. And Quentin Grimes (right calf tightness) is available to play.
George has already missed 14 games due to his left knee and a sprained right ankle. He missed the first 12 games of the season with left knee injury recovery, then he sat out the Nov. 19 loss to the Toronto Raptors because it was the first game of a back-to-back. And George missed the Nov. 25 loss to the Orlando Magic with a sprained right ankle.
He is averaging 13.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals in 22.2 minutes.
After driving hours from Connecticut, 25-year-old Tristan Howard walked toward the back of Lapstone & Hammer with a large canvas covered in wrapping paper. He approached Sixers center Joel Embiid with the gift, and the former league MVP gladly accepted — opening the present on the spot.
As the wrapping paper slowly fell to the floor, a painting of Embiid was revealed. The 7-foot center could be seen dunking on an opponent with one hand while holding his MVP trophy in the other, wearing sunglasses, sporting his Olympic gold medal — and of course, wearing his new Skechers shoe, the SKX JE1.
25-year-old Tristan Howard made the trip from Connecticut to deliver his painting to Embiid at Lapstone & Hammer pic.twitter.com/cgeoB5se6B
“I know he’s a very powerful player,” Howard said. “So him dunking the ball is very important. And I know that he won a gold medal and was MVP. So, I wanted to incorporate that somehow. And then obviously the new shoe, I put that on him. I’m happy with how it came out.”
Howard, who happens to be a New York sports fan, spent six hours the night before painting the gift for Embiid. It was one way the Sixers player was able to celebrate the launch of his latest sneaker and Skechers first-ever signature basketball shoe.
Joel Embiid’s first signature shoe from Skechers, the SKX JE1, feature his initials on the tongue.
“It means a lot [to have a signature shoe], especially when you look at where I come from, everything that I’ve been through, and what it took to get here,” Embiid said in a news release. “I always say, my life is a movie, everything happened so fast, one thing after another. Honestly, I wasn’t even supposed to be here. So, to be sitting here now, with my own shoe, it just shows that people believed in me. And that feels great. It’s truly amazing.”
The shoe was released exclusively at Lapstone & Hammer on Saturday, just a day before Embiid debuted his new sneakers during the team’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Wednesday’s event gave fans another chance to purchase the shoes ahead of its global release on Thursday.
And as a way to celebrate the release in the city, Embiid met with a number of those fans at the Center City store, signing sneakers and posing for photos. Sixers forward Jabari Walker, a fellow Skechers athlete, even made an appearance to show his support.
“The message I want to send is that anything is possible,” Embiid added. “When you look at where I started, I wasn’t even supposed to play basketball — I was playing volleyball. And now, here I am. I’m just so thankful for all the opportunities I’ve had.
“Like I said earlier, this shoe represents the belief that people had in me. It’s about showing that as long as you put the work in, you can achieve your goals — you can achieve anything you want. That’s what happened to me, and that’s what I want for others.”
A side view of the SKX JE1 shows the upper cage, as well as the three heel points that were a critical part of the shoe’s design.
The design, according to Skechers, is inspired by Embiid’s non-traditional path to the NBA. It features an abstract multidirectional traction pattern with their signature Goodyear outsole and a mesh body with a 3D-printed silicon lockdown cage. The three heel points represent Embiid’s three keys of life: heritage, sports, and family.
“I’ve been working with Skechers on fine-tuning every detail of the SKX JE1 and I’m excited to share it with the world,” Embiid said in the release. “Skechers strives for excellence in performance and comfort, so I couldn’t ask for a better partner in creating this signature shoe.”
In addition to being on sale at Lapstone & Hammer, the SKX JE1s are now available at Skechers.com, select Skechers stores, and other specialty retailers. They retail for $130.
Different designs of Joel Embiid’s SKX JE1 sneakers were on display during the release event at Lapstone & Hammer on Wednesday.
Joel Embiid’s new signature shoe with Skechers, the SKX JE 1, was released exclusively at Lapstone & Hammer on Saturday. The Sixers center, who signed with the brand last year after his five-year partnership with Under Armour ended, debuted his shoes during the team’s 142-134 double-overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
Embiid wore the low-top sneaker, which has his initials on the tongue of the shoe, in black, blue, and pink. The shoe is expected to release two other colorways: neon green and black, and a red, white, black, and gold color scheme that appears to match the Sixers’ all-black jerseys from their 2001 NBA Finals team, which the team has brought back for the 25th anniversary of that season.
First look at the SKX JE1 — Joel Embiid’s new signature shoe with Skechers. The official launch is just days away, but here’s a peek at a few colorways and some of the finer details. Looks like it’s rocking a Goodyear sole, too.
Embiid previously had just one signature shoe with Under Armour, the Embiid One, which released in September 2020. Having a second signature shoe with a different company is rare, and he joins players like Aaron Gordon, Kyrie Irving, and Andrew Wiggins as active players who have had signature shoes with more than one brand.
Although the shoes’ global release has not yet been announced, Embiid is on a small list of Philly athletes who have had their own signature shoes. The most notable is Allen Iverson with 18 Reebok signature shoes. Although the list is brief, how does Embiid’s newest shoe stack up against his predecessors?
Allen Iverson was wearing the Reebok “Answer IVs” during Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals.
Iverson’s ‘Questions’ and ‘Answers’
There have been many Iverson shoes with Reebok, but the popularity of his Reebok Question 1 signature shoe, which debuted in 1996 after he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Sixers, and his Reebok Answer IV shoe, which came out in 2000, is palpable.
The latter has even been replicated as football cleats. Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith wore custom-made Iverson IV cleats for last year’s NFC championship game against the Commanders and the Super Bowl. The shoe was an homage to Iverson’s tunnel outfit for the NBA Finals, which featured a custom-made Eagles jersey with his last name on it and a green and white colorway for the Answer IVs.
The original Reebok Question sneakers are best known for their red cap, matching the style of the Air Jordan 11s that Iverson wore in college at Georgetown. The Question had a white base, with the red toe and blue bottoms to match the Sixers’ jerseys back then in 1996-97. Versions of them continue to be sold today, and Reebok has even unveiled a golf shoe in the same style.
We also need to show some love to the Answer 1 high-top shoes, which had hidden laces and featured the pump on the side of the shoe with Iverson’s logo on it.
Sixers forward Elton Brand, now the team’s general manager, donned several versions of his Converse signature shoes during his time playing in Philly, including these in 2010.
Converse EB
Right as Elton Brand’s playing days started in Philly in 2008, so were his signature shoe releases. He debuted the Converse EB1 signature shoes during his first season with the Sixers, with the EB logo on the strap across the sneakers shaped as the letter “D” as an homage to his mother Daisy and his Dunbar Heights neighborhood near Peekskill, N.Y.
Brand went on to release the Converse EB2 and EB3 in 2009 and 2010, respectively. His shoes were best known for being sold exclusively at JCPenney for $65. He had two stints with Philly as a player (2008-12, 2016), then worked his way up through the Sixers’ organization from player development consultant to general manager.
In 2014, Ubiq, Fila and Packer collaborated to bring former Sixer Jerry Stackhouse’s signature shoe back to life.
FILA Stackhouse
A year before Iverson came into the fold, Jerry Stackhouse, drafted third overall by the Sixers in 1995, debuted his shoe with FILA, called the “FILA Stackhouse,” which came on the heels of Grant Hill’s popular signature shoe in the mid-1990s.
The shoe became a major success because of Stackhouse’s instant impact in Philly, averaging 19.2 points as a rookie during the 1995-96 season. He played in Philly for only two seasons, but the shoe, which released in white, blue, and red and a white-and-red colorway, has held up over time.
In 2014, FILA and former Philly retailer Ubiq, which closed in 2020, collaborated with Packer Shoes to release the FILA Spaghetti, paying homage to Stackhouse’s 18-year career, which ended in Brooklyn with the Nets. The shoe featured the Sixers’ vibrant red and blue colors. He also released the FILA Stack II in 1996 and the FILA Stackhouse III during the 1998-99 season.
Julius Erving wore leather Converse sneakers during his 11 seasons with the Sixers.
Dr. J and the Converse Pro Leather
Julius Erving, better known as Dr. J, released his signature Pro Leather high-top sneakers with Converse in 1976, his first season in Philly, in a simple white-and-red colorway. Erving wore the leather sneakers throughout his career with the Sixers, which spanned 11 years.
He released a low-top version a year later, but the high-top classics are his most acclaimed signature shoe. Erving also released the Converse All-Star Dr. J 2000, which debuted in 1997, and Converse Dr. J Pro Leather 2K11, which came in 2011.
Reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is now the face of Converse, but Erving and Chuck Taylor are a big part of the brand becoming a key player in the basketball space.
Charles Barkley is one of several Philly athletes who got his signature shoe while playing for another team.
Signature shoes elsewhere
Charles Barkley, Darryl Dawkins, Dikembe Mutombo, and Paul George all played in Philly at some point in their careers, but each had signature shoes released either before or after their time with the Sixers.
Barkley’s came when he was with the Phoenix Suns. The Nike Air Force Max CB sneakers were released in 1993, which became one of his iconic shoes, and he released six others over the next five years.
Dawkins had his signature shoe with the Nets come in 1984, the Pony Uptown. Mutombo had two signature shoes with Adidas: the Mutombo I and II sneakers, which came out in 1993 and 1994, respectively, while he was with the Nuggets.
George released all six of his signature shoes with Nike before arriving in Philly, from his debut Nike PG 1 sneakers being released in Indiana in 2017 to the Nike PG 6’s in 2022 with the Clippers.
Kobe Bryant, who played his high school ball at Lower Merion, had 29 signature shoes with Nike, though his Nike Zoom Kobe VI sneakers are probably the most popular pair in his collection.
Dawn Staley was one of the first WNBA players to get her own signature shoe.
We can’t forget about North Philly native Dawn Staley, who had two signature shoes released in 1999 as part of the Nike Alpha Project. Staley debuted the Nike Air Zoom S5 during her first season in the WNBA in 1999 with the Charlotte Sting, and the Nike Air Zoom S5 II followed a year later.
Temple alum Eddie Jones, who played for six NBA teams, had two Jordan Brand signature shoes released early in his career: the Jumpman Quick 6 in 1998 with the Lakers and Jumpman Swift 6 in 1999 with the Hornets.
Sixers center Joel Embiid debuted his new signature Skechers sneakers over the weekend.
Verdict on SKX JE 1
Embiid’s first sneaker with Skechers look more modern and sleek than the Under Armour Embiid One shoes. Compared to other Philly athletes’ shoes, though, and due in part to Skechers’ lack of appeal as opposed to bigger basketball brands, it’s a tough one to rank ahead of Iverson, Dr. J, or Stackhouse’s signature shoes.
The colorway he debuted on Sunday is eye-catching, and the shoe will ultimately be judged by its performance when others are wearing it on the court. This could be the start of a long signature shoe partnership between Skechers and Embiid, but his first shoe definitely has room for improvement.
The NBA announced Wednesday that it has fined the 76ers $100,000 for violating the league’s injury reporting rules after Joel Embiid initially was listed as out for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks and then subsequently played in their double-overtime loss.
The NBA’s announcement said the Sixers “failed to accurately disclose the game availability status” of Embiid before the game. Embiid, who had missed nine consecutive games before Sunday, was listed as out because of right knee injury management on the league’s official report released Saturday night. He was upgraded to questionable Sunday afternoon before taking the floor for his pregame warmup and being announced in the starting lineup about 30 minutes before tipoff. He finished with 18 points, four rebounds, and two assists in a season-high 30 minutes.
According to the NBA, “the fine takes into account the [Sixers’] prior history of fines for violating injury reporting rules.” Embiid, who has dealt with several health issues throughout his decorated career, often is at the center of such inconsistencies on the league-mandated injury updates.
Embiid sat out Tuesday’s victory over the Washington Wizards to allow his right knee to recover and also has missed several games this season as part of his recovery from multiple left knee surgeries. The Sixers next play a back-to-back on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors at home and on Friday at the Milwaukee Bucks.
Tyrese Maxey trails only Hall of Famers Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain when it comes to the highest point total through 20 games in franchise history.
The Sixers (11-9) may face a tough decision if George continues to excel on defense. Once believed to be untradeable, the 6-foot-8 forward could be a nice addition for a contender looking for a solid defender. Or he could continue to help Maxey.
While he’s not the player he was a few seasons ago, George can still hold his own, depending on the matchup.
He had a tough time defending the Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo a few weeks ago and may also struggle against some of the league’s quicker perimeter players. But aside from that, he hasn’t had a problem.
Sixers’ Paul George scored 11 points against the Wizards on Tuesday.
The nine-time All-Star had one steal to go with 11 points and five rebounds in just 17 minutes, 43 seconds against the Wizards. The 35-year-old was highly active on defense and continued to show his physicality. That enabled him to blanket the players he guarded. He also crashed the defensive boards.
His most significant impact through his first six games has come on defense, where he’s averaging 1.8 steals. He tallied a season-high five steals in Sunday’s 142-134 double-overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
His shooting has been inconsistent. George has gotten off to solid starts in a couple of games but has been unable to sustain them. And he has struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 35.3% on three-pointers.
But he was in rhythm against the Wizards, making 3 of 5 three-pointers.
“It’s getting there,” he said of his shot. “I’ve just got to get my legs under me, get a little bit stronger. I just feel like my legs aren’t as strong as they need to be. Just kind of get them under me a little bit. Kind of feeling training camp legs a little bit.”
The biggest question about George is his durability. Prospective teams will have to ask themselves whether they are willing to trade for a player with George’s recent injury history.
McCain getting back to his old self
McCain has been playing with a solid pace in recent games. His pace and shot-making ability have shown why he was last season’s rookie of the year front-runner before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
The combination guard averaged 16.7 points while shooting 47.4% on three-pointers during a three-game stretch against the Heat, Orlando Magic, and Brooklyn Nets. Then, after struggling Sunday vs. the Hawks, McCain bounced back against the Wizards.
The 21-year-old finished with 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting — including two made three-pointers — along with five assists in 25:11.
The Sixers’ Jared McCain (center) finished Tuesday’s game with 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
McCain scored seven of his points in the first quarter. A a solid distributor, he’s been a nice asset for the Sixers. He paces the game and fits well with George and Maxey. His weakness has been his defense, and opponents try to find matchups with him.
But McCain hasn’t shown any adverse effects from his surgically repaired left knee.
“I feel like I’m back to myself,” he said. “I think continuing those reps, the same stuff. But this game definitely felt good to get people off the dribble.
“I remember in the beginning when I first came back [Nov. 4 vs. the Chicago Bulls], I was like, ‘Dang, am I ever going to get this burst back at all?’ But just trusting the process, and now I’m here.”
Maxey’s latest milestone
After scoring a game-high 35 points, Maxey now has 649 points through 20 games. That ranks third behind Iverson (681 in 2005-06) and Chamberlain (661 in 1965-66).
“Obviously, that’s awesome, considering the names you mentioned and the other names that have been here, like the history, the storied history of this program,” coach Nick Nurse said. “It’s amazing to get in those kinds of conversations. I think that whenever I start thinking, ‘Jeez, is he going to be able to continue to do that?’ He just goes out and makes six or seven possessions like, ‘I’m going to do whatever I want here.’”
Maxey has been torching opponents on drives to the basket, on floaters, and behind the three-point line.
“And he’s just moving himself all over the court and getting himself clearance to shoot,” Nurse said. “And then I keep saying, ‘He should shoot more.’”
Maxey’s 35 points came on 13-for-26 shooting in just 28:49. He also finished with six assists, four rebounds, and four steals while being a plus-23.
He scored 20 of his points in the third quarter on 7-for-13 shooting, including the Sixers’ final 14 points in the quarter before sitting out the fourth.
“Yeah, that stretch alone, he put the game away,” George said of the Sixers taking a 101-77 lead into the fourth. “He just had his imprint over it. From steal, getting out, creating offense for himself, creating offense for us, big shots. And you can see that he was just in a rhythm and a flow, and he took over.”
Maxey wanted to be aggressive during that stretch.
“Give us a comfortable lead where we could be professional and finish that game out,” he said.
Maxey entered Wednesday third in the league in scoring at 32.5 points per game. Tuesday’s was his 11th game with at least 30 points.
The 6-2 guard entered Wednesday tied for second in the NBA in made three-pointers (75) and seventh in assists at 7.5 per game.
Tyrese Maxey drives to the basket against the Wizards.
Wizards great at tanking
It’s hard to believe the Sixers needed overtime to defeat the Wizards, 139-134, on Oct. 28 at the Capital One Arena.
On Tuesday, Washington (3-17) shot 39.8% from the field, including 9-for-36 from three-point range, and committed 15 turnovers, which led to 28 Sixers points.
Wizards fans will point to Alex Sarr (right thigh strain), Corey Kispert (right thumb fracture), Tre Johnson (left hip flexor strain), Khris Middleton (right knee injury management), and Sharife Cooper (right calf strain) missing Tuesday’s game.
But the Sixers were without Joel Embiid (right knee injury recovery), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee sprain), Trendon Watford (left thigh strain), and Quentin Grimes (right calf soreness).
Andre Drummond (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Jabari Walker (10 points, 12 rebounds) finished with double-doubles in a game that was all but over in the third quarter.
Up 24 entering the fourth, the Sixers could rest George and Maxey for the entire quarter. Dominick Barlow logged only 1:39 during that period.
Jabari Walker was on the 76ers’ practice court Monday with rookie center Johni Broome, who screened and rolled while Walker awaited the ball to shoot a corner three-pointer.
After one repetition, Walker shifted to other skills, then eventually went back to that corner. The unorthodox drill sequencing was designed to simulate the typical space between Walker’s opportunities to shoot in a game — and that he must be ready to fire.
“We’re putting so much importance on one shot,” Walker said. “ … There’s been an [emphasis] on, ‘OK, you’re not going to get that many of them.’”
The off-day session was Walker’s response to getting squeezed out of the Sixers’ rotation for the first time this season Sunday in a double-overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The approach paid off when the reserve forward drilled his first two three-pointers in less than one minute of game action in the second quarter Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards. That ignited Walker’s first double-double as a Sixer, with 10 points and a season-high 12 rebounds in his team’s dominant 121-102 victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“When I was in the corner,” Walker said, “it was like, ‘OK, this is the one. Just make sure everything is solid [and] follow through.’ And then got that one, and then the next one. … That just builds confidence.”
Now in his fourth season, Walker has been in the NBA long enough to understand that rosters and rotations fluctuate. After receiving zero minutes Sunday — when Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe finally shared the floor for the first time — Walker was an unsurprising ninth-man choice for Tuesday’s game. Embiid (knee injury recovery) and sixth man Quentin Grimes (calf) were ruled out after playing against the Hawks, while starting wing Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee) and versatile forward Trendon Watford (thigh) also remain sidelined.
Still, Walker said he has learned to “trick [his] mind” into ensuring he does not put unnecessary pressure on himself whenever he does receive an opportunity. He is averaging 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.4 minutes in 19 games.
“You’ve just got to make yourself think you don’t care as much as you do,” said Walker, who is on a two-way contract that limits him to 50 NBA games this season.
Walker also alluded to this mentality following a nine-point, nine-rebound effort in a Nov. 19 loss to the Toronto Raptors. Detaching his emotions, he said, helped him snatch extra rebounds, set harder screens, and shoot more confidently in that game. Walker also now knows that coach Nick Nurse will keep well-performing role players on the floor. Against the Wizards, Walker went from sitting on the bench the entire first quarter to playing the full second frame.
And, if the worst-case scenario unfolds, Walker leans into being a good teammate.
“My attitude’s been right,” he said. “I’ve been supportive through it all, and I think that is a positive thing you can do even if you’re not having a good game.”
It also helps that Nurse has been encouraging Walker to launch those three-pointers, dating back to the preseason. Despite making only four of his 17 long-range attempts entering Tuesday, Walker’s shooting data tracked by technology inside the Sixers’ practice facility had been “really good,” the coach said.
But the stakes naturally increase during game action, requiring Walker to quickly process that he is open as a catch-and-shoot pass heads his way. Nurse stopped Tuesday’s shootaround to reiterate when and where he wants Walker to fire, the player said. And during the game, Maxey pointed at Walker to indicate “that’s the one” whenever he appropriately let the ball fly.
“It doesn’t get any better than that,” Walker said.
When asked after Tuesday’s win about Walker’s impact, George described him as a “bully.” Jared McCain, meanwhile, called Walker “tenacious” and “relentless.”
Both were referencing Walker’s knack for rebounding. To successfully crash the glass, the 6-foot-7 Walker first highlighted his physicality and positioning before the shot goes up. Once he has pinpointed where he believes the ball is going to ricochet off the rim, he relies on his reflexes to, in Nurse’s words, “snap” the ball down from its highest point.
Walker credits his father, Samaki Walker, who spent 10 seasons as an NBA role player, with teaching him this skill. When Jabari grabbed a one-handed rebound — and screamed as he pinned the ball to his side — during that Nov. 19 Toronto game, it signaled “that’s the me I know I can show,” he said.
“That’s what I know I’m capable of,” Walker said that night. “I just haven’t done that to the level that I’m happy with. So when I got that rebound, it was a moment to myself, like, ‘OK, there we go.’”
Jabari Walker posted one of his best games of the season in a nine-point, nine-rebound effort against the Toronto Raptors. He then posted a double-double Tuesday vs. the Wizards.
Walker’s playing time — and production — have been a bit unpredictable since then. It is unclear how long his teammates who missed Tuesday’s lopsided win will remain out, and how that could affect any upcoming minutes.
Yet Walker put together his best performance as a Sixer on Tuesday. And it stemmed from how he attacked his off-day work after falling out of the rotation.
“We’re not just trying to survive and be, like, ‘OK, let’s wait for these guys,’” Walker said. “We’re trying to thrive with who we have right now.”
Tyrese Maxey scored 20 of his 35 points in the third quarter, Andre Drummond had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and the 76ers beat the Washington Wizards 121-102 on Tuesday night.
Maxey, who was coming off a 44-point performance, was 13 of 26 from the field to score 20-plus for the 20th straight game this season. He also had six assists and four steals in 29 minutes.
The Sixers (11-9) had their 66-54 halftime lead trimmed to five after Washington scored the first seven points of the third quarter. But the Sixers scored 11 of the next 13 points to rebuild a double-digit lead at 77-63 with 6 minutes, 30 seconds left in the frame.
Jabari Walker had 10 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for the Sixers in their 121-102 win over Washington.
Maxey scored 20 points in the third quarter, while the Wizards had just 23 after going 7 of 22 from the floor. Maxey did not play in the fourth quarter.
Philadelphia hit 100 points with 32.1 seconds left in the third on a free throw by Maxey. The 76ers extended the lead to 115-79 after starting the fourth on a 14-2 run.
Washington (3-17) dropped to 1-11 on the road this season.
Jared McCain added 14 points for the Sixers and fellow reserve Jabari Walker had 10 points and 12 rebounds. Paul George scored 11.
Washington had seven players score in double figures, led by Tristan Vukcevic with 16 points. Marvin Bagley III, Justin Champagnie, and Will Riley each had 13 points.
Maxey scored 15 points in the first half, McCain added 11 and the Sixers went 9 of 21 behind the arc, while the Wizards shot 38% overall by halftime.
Philadelphia was without Quentin Grimes, who is third on the team with 17 points per game, for the first time this season.
The Sixers will host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).
Sunday also marked just the 19th game that Embiid, George, and Maxey played together since George signed his four-year, $211.5 million deal on July 6, 2024. This was only the 16th game that all three finished. In those 16 games, the Sixers are 7-9.
“It was just great to get out there with those guys,” George said of the Big Three. “We just logged minutes together. I thought it was just a ton of excitement. But we obviously got work to do.”
On paper, Maxey, Embiid, and George are a solid mix.
Maxey is a budding superstar. Embiid is the former MVP and arguably one of the NBA’s all-time best scoring big men. George is a nine-time All-Star forward and three-level scorer. And despite coming off July’s left knee surgery, the 35-year-old still appears to be an elite defender. However, the problem is their usage.
Maxey is good enough that if the right co-stars surround him, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder could excel like the Cleveland Cavaliers’ perennial All-Star, Donovan Mitchell.
The Sixers’ point guard is playing at an All-NBA level. If you put the ball in his hands, he’ll make plays for you offensively.
And on Sunday, the Embiid, George, and Maxey lineup looked improved compared to their limited games together last season. But it was far from Eastern Conference championship worthy.
There were times against the Hawks when the lineup looked clunky. Embiid still spends most of his time on the perimeter. The 7-foot-2, 280-pounder’s outside presence often gets in his teammates’ driving lanes to the basket.
But when things did run smoothly, Maxey and Embiid did a solid job of orchestrating the pick-and-roll and keeping George involved. George, however, failed to knock down wide-open three-point shots on passes from the duo.
There was one moment in the fourth quarter when Maxey dished the ball to Embiid in the pick-and-roll. The seven-time All-Star, in turn, passed to a wide-open George in the corner. But he missed the 24-footer.
Then, a couple of possessions later, Maxey dished to George, who again was left wide-open in the corner for a three. He missed, again.
But in his defense, George isn’t known as a catch-and-shoot three-point shooter.
Sixers center Joel Embiid drives to the basket against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
There were also times when the offense flowed perfectly with the trio on the floor together. And if we learned something in the overtime sessions, it’s that the Sixers need George, Embiid, and Maxey on the floor together more.
The Sixers often replaced George and Embiid with undersized, nonshooting post players, which resulted in Maxey drawing extra attention. And he was also blitzed on screens, making it harder to free Maxey with screens or switches.
But due to a minutes restriction, George’s night was over after the opening minute, 22 seconds of the first overtime. Meanwhile, Embiid was unable to play in the second overtime due to his minutes restriction. Sunday marked Embiid’s first game since Nov. 8 and seventh this season due to knee injuries. This was just George’s fifth game because of left knee injury recovery and a sprained right ankle.
Without Embiid’s presence and George’s playmaking and stellar defense, the Sixers went Maxey or bust in the second overtime.
He tried to do his part, scoring all eight of his team’s points in the five-minute session. However, the Sixers’ small-ball lineup struggled on the boards. Atlanta outrebounded them, 7-2, in the second overtime, which enabled it to score seven second-chance points.
“It was tough not having [Embiid] out there in the second overtime,” coach Nick Nurse said. “He got us some open space to play in, with him just being on the floor. He created a lot of offense for us.”
Sixers forward Paul George was limited to 28 minutes against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
Maxey finished with game highs of 44 points and nine assists to go with seven rebounds, six turnovers, and one block in 52:18. He scored 24 of his points over the fourth quarter and overtime sessions.
The Sixers walked away believing a victory would’ve been in the cards had Embiid, George, and VJ Edgecombe, who also sat out the extra sessions due to a minutes restriction, all played at the end. And they’re probably right under those circumstances on that particular night.
The Hawks were without perennial All-Star guard Trae Young and standout center Kristaps Porziņģis.
Right now, the Sixers are having a tough time beating quality opponents.
“I never get real satisfaction out of not winning,” said Nurse, whose Sixers (10-9) have lost nine of 15 games after starting 4-0. “Right now, though, we’ve gotten so thin over the last 10, 12 days. It’s just nice to have a few guys filtering back in. That’s like hopefully we can come out of this, obviously, we try to recover and rejuvenate [Monday], and hopefully, we can get most of the guys back on the floor Tuesday, again.
“And hopefully, the minute restrictions will start going up a little bit again. That’s something to look forward to again.”
The Sixers entertain the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. The Wizards improved to 3-16 after Monday’s 129-126 home victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. They were riding a 14-game losing streak before defeating the Hawks on Nov. 25.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey and center Joel Embiid shown during the loss to the Hawks on Sunday.
But once he returns, the Sixers must face reality.
Right now, they have a high-scoring speedster in Maxey and a big man who barely plays in Embiid. And when the 31-year-old does play, he doesn’t really move, especially defensively, following April’s arthroscopic left knee surgery. It was his second left knee surgery in 14 months and third in nine years.
Even though he’s averaging 32.3 points, the Sixers can’t count on Maxey to score 44 points every night. And at times this season — including Sunday — it appeared Embiid wasn’t trying on defense or just wasn’t able to get to a spot.
Offensively, the Sixers can give the ball to him, and he’ll score. He is averaging 19.4 points in just 24.3 minutes in seven games.
The problem is they’re not going to beat quality opponents with Embiid being limited. But the Sixers have to endure the process of acclimating Embiid and George, and there will likely be some collateral damage.
After all, the Sixers have been most successful in an up-tempo offense centered around ball movement. Yet Embiid is better suited to a two-man game with Maxey and isolation plays.
Sixers center Joel Embiid holds the basketball out with teammate guard Tyrese Maxey past Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels on Sunday, November 30, 2025 in Philadelphia.
“It’s different because he’s still really good,” Maxey said. “We still got to get him the ball. We also got to run our stuff. It’s going to come with time. … I think that may be VJ’s first time playing with Joel and Paul. A lot of guys’ first time playing with them.
“So we haven’t really practiced with that group. It’s kind of hard, but that’s no excuse. I think we did a good enough job to win the game. We played well. We got to finish those out.”
“I thought offensively, it kind of felt like we did have a better little rhythm out there, kind of finding, picking, choosing different lineups to incorporate, whether it’s pick-and-rolls, positioning on the floor,” George said. “And then defensively, I thought there were a lot of positives there. But again, all of it is now we’ve got to get to work and try to be consistent together.”
While that was encouraging, the Sixers still have a long way to go.
The 76ers center will miss Tuesday’s game against the Washington Wizards at Xfinity Mobile Arena due to a right knee injury recovery. The 7-foot-2, 280-pounder played in Sunday’s double-overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks after missing the previous nine games because of knee injuries.
Embiid finished with 18 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and a block in a season-high 30 minutes. He played after initially being listed as out for the game on Saturday’s injury report. The 2023 MVP was upgraded to questionable on Sunday’s pregame report before being cleared to play before the game.
Sixers forward Paul George scored 16 points in Sunday’s against the Hawks.
He’s not the only Sixer missing Tuesday’s game.
Kelly Oubre Jr. (sprained left knee) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) will remain sidelined. Meanwhile, Paul George (left knee injury recovery/lower back tightness) and Andre Drummond (sprained right knee) are questionable.
Embiid has already missed 12 of the Sixers’ 19 games because of his knee ailments. He is averaging 19.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.4 blocks in 24.3 minutes.
As 76ers public-address announcer Matt Cord rolled through Sunday’s starting lineup, an in-arena camera caught Joel Embiid jogging down the hallway that connects the locker room to the tunnel. He then met his huddled teammates, who bounced and threw their arms in the air while engulfing the former MVP.
Embiid was back — again — from a nine-game absence because of an issue in his right knee. He described his first half as successful and his second half as “a little rough,” while totaling 18 points, four rebounds, and two assists in a season-high 30 minutes in a double-overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Before training camp, Embiid said he was prepared to face unpredictable health flare-ups that would force personal restarts throughout the season. He stressed the need to navigate them methodically and with positivity.
So how would he evaluate his ability to put that mentality into practice?
“It was OK,” Embiid said at his locker after the game. “Obviously, like I said, it’s going to happen, so you can’t put your head down and whine about it. Keep working hard and trying to get back at it as close as possible.
“What can we do? The only thing you can do is keep doing the right things, focusing on the right things, and go from there.”
Sunday’s return meant the 10-9 Sixers’ max-contract players Embiid, Tyrese Maxey (44 points, nine assists, seven rebounds), and Paul George (16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, five steals) — plus third overall draft pick VJ Edgecombe (seven points, two assists, two steals) — played together for the first time. And though Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee) and Trendon Watford (thigh) remain out, it was the closest the Sixers have gotten to a “normal” top of the rotation — at least in the first half, before minutes restrictions became a factor.
Joel Embiid passes to Tyrese Maxey, who led the Sixers with 44 points against the Hawks on Sunday.
That it took until Game 19 to achieve this was unfortunate for Embiid, who said he was “actually getting back to myself” just before reporting soreness in his right knee the morning of a Nov. 11 home game against the Boston Celtics.
His day-to-day status turned into nearly three weeks, including recent toggles between questionable to play and out. Embiid said Sunday that uncertainty was due to how his knee responded to on-court sessions.
He was initially ruled out for Sunday’s game on the NBA’s official injury report, before getting upgraded to questionable in the afternoon. He stepped onto the court for his pregame warmup about 45 minutes before tipoff, then was officially announced as in the starting lineup.
On the Sixers’ first possession, Embiid took his defender off the dribble to get to his spot for an elbow jumper. He hit a baseline fadeaway in the second period, then two more textbook mid-range shots. At halftime, he had 11 points on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting in 13 minutes.
Coach Nick Nurse said he was pleased with how Embiid created offense and open space for teammates in a variety of ways. He set pin-down screens, or began possessions in the corner while George and Dominick Barlow ran pick-and-rolls in the middle of the floor. He executed dribble handoffs with Quentin Grimes. And though he could lean on his exceptional two-man chemistry with Maxey when the game got tight down the stretch, Embiid reiterated his desire to contribute to the Sixers’ faster-paced, passer-friendly offense.
“I can make nine of those 10 shots [off the short roll] every single time,” Embiid said. “It’s easy to get there. But I think it’s also better when everybody else is involved and we play together.”
Added Maxey: “It’s different, because he’s still really good. We’ve still got to get him the ball. We’ve also got to run our stuff. … We haven’t really practiced with that group [with George and Edgecombe], so it’s kind of hard. But that’s no excuse. I think we did a good enough job to win the game.”
When Maxey’s heroic game-tying three-pointer forced overtime, Embiid said he “fought hard” to play in the extra frame. He missed both shot attempts during that stretch but helped Barlow protect the rim on a Jalen Johnson miss with 5.3 seconds to go.
Embiid then “wasn’t allowed” to stretch his minutes restriction further to play in the second overtime. It was an obvious absence because of the “simple” package of plays the Sixers can run through the big man even while he is limited physically. Nurse noted that smaller players attempted to set screens for Maxey, but they “couldn’t hardly get up there because of the physicality” of the Hawks.
“I still felt like there’s something I could have done,” Embiid said, “just being on the floor.”
Embiid said he will not judge his progress on his shot-making but by how he moves laterally and jumps. Though a hesitancy (or inability) to get airborne for rebounds was obvious, Embiid said Sunday’s effective first half was a “good step” on which to build.
And the need for another personal restart is no surprise to Embiid.
“If anybody thinks that I don’t want to play every game, that’s their problem,” he said. “But I think, this year, I’ve shown that I would do anything just to play one game of basketball. … You’ve just got to trust what you’re doing, and in God, and be OK with the fact that whatever happens, happens.
“If I have something [that] happened to me like it happened, what can I do? Just go out and rehab, and come back as soon as possible. That’s the mindset.”
