Joel Embiid is, once again, a constant for the 76ers.
With Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford back, we’ll finally get a glimpse of how competitive the team is.
And Wednesday was one of those performances when Paul George let people know he’s still got it.
Those things stood out in a 131-110 victory over the Washington Wizards at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Embiid stringing together games
This contest marked the fifth consecutive game that Embiid has played this season. There was one day’s rest between each game. Earlier this season, the 7-foot-2, 280-pound center didn’t play with less than two days of rest between games.
The limited amount of rest hasn’t appeared to impact Embiid’s performance, who has already missed 17 games due to right and left knee injuries and a sprained ankle.
He averaged 28.5 points, 8.5 rebounds. 5.3 assists, and one block in his previous four games. On Wednesday, Embiid tallied 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting along with seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in 25 minutes, 24 seconds.
Embiid felt “pretty good” after playing a season-high 40:03 in Monday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets.
“I just got to keep it going,” he said. “I think tonight, I was OK tonight, so that was a good sign. But like I said, I got to keep going.
“We are still building myself back up. And you just have to be smart.”
He scored the game’s first basket on an 11-foot jumper 17 seconds into the contest. Then Embiid delivered a thunderous two-handed dunk to put the Sixers up 7-0, 1:20 later.
And Embiid displayed solid defense while blocking Justin Champagnie’s layup with 5:02 left in the quarter.
He ended the quarter with eight points on 3-for-4 shooting, along with three rebounds and one assist. Embiid was up to 16 points at the half.
“The nicest thing to see is he’s stringing some games here, one after another,” coach Nick Nurse said. “And the same is applying to the daily work, and all that kind of stuff, too. I just think that’s important for him to continue to keep playing.”
The good thing for the Sixers (20-15) is that his availability means he’s feeling better. It also means the 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star is regaining his rhythm. And as Nurse pointed out, you see him continue to sharpen his skills.
“But yeah, it’s great to see him, obviously,” Nurse said. “The guys that we got playing around him now are playing extremely hard for the most part, and he’s obviously, I always say this, it’s our best version if he’s out there and he’s good. Hopefully, we can continue along with that. Hopefully, he’ll keep stringing some games up here.”
The Sixers were cautious with Embiid earlier in the season by giving him two days of rest between games and hard practices.
“I’m going to be honest, he’s moving way better than I’ve seen him when I first got here,” VJ Edgecombe said. “He’s definitely moving way better. He’s just being Joel, man. We are all seeing that. Like I said, he’s a 30-point scorer every night. He can get 30 points on any given night. So he’s super skilled.
“It’s just been good to see him moving better.”
Edgecombe did note that he’s “a little scared” every time Embiid falls on the court. But he said Embiid tells him why he does that.
So the rookie isn’t mad at the 31-year-old for purposely falling. And when he stays upright, Edgecombe is starting to see Embiid move faster than he expected.
“So I’m happy to see him healthy,” Edgecombe said. “Health is a big thing.”
The crew’s intact
This matchup marked the first time since December 2023 that the Sixers had all their key players available.
Oubre returned after missing the previous 22 games with a sprained left knee ligament against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 14. Watford was available after being sidelined 17 games with a strained left thigh muscle against the Orlando Magic on Nov. 25.
“It’s good to have Kelly back,” Edgecombe said. “It’s good to have TY back. And you know we’ve been having a consistent [lineup] with the starters the past few games, which also helps. But overall, it’s been great, man. I’m just happy to see everyone on the floor.”
Oubre checked into the game at the 4:27 mark of the first quarter to a loud ovation. He immediately made an impact, impeding the Wizards (10-26) from getting an offensive rebound on a missed three-pointer. And in true Oubre fashion, the 6-8 small forward signaled that it was the Sixers’ possession before sprinting down the floor.
He grabbed his first rebound at 1:51 left in the quarter, while playing power forward in a small-ball lineup with Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes, Jared McCain, and Adem Bona. Oubre grabbed his second rebound — also defensive — 17 seconds into the second quarter. This time, he dribbled the ball up the court before misfiring on a 28-foot three-pointer. Oubre went to the bench 1:48 into the quarter. He had two rebounds and missed both of his shots during his initial stint.
In his second stint, Oubre was on the floor with Maxey, Embiid, George, and Dominick Barlow for the final 1:56 of the half.
Oubre scored his only basket with 7:03 remaining in the fourth quarter. He finished with two points on 1-for-4 shooting to go with three rebounds, one assist, and two steals in 20:16.
“It was a stretch in the game where I was picking up anybody that was bringing the ball up, which is normally what I do,” Oubre said. “But I just wanted to test that, and make sure everything was good. I felt good. So I think I’m kind of back to myself. I’m a two-way player, of course. But in-game flow. You know how it flows.”
Watford didn’t come into the game until 4:45 remained. He had three assists in closing out the blowout victory.
Nurse hinted before the game that Watford probably would not play, or would play very little. That’s because he didn’t want to disrupt the team’s rhythm. The Sixers have been successful recently with Barlow and reserve Jabari Walker getting the bulk of the minutes at power forward.
But the coach is elated to finally have his full complement of key players at his disposal.
“It is great. It is great, it is,” Nurse said. “You know, getting them all there … is the first kind of accomplishment, or first step, I should say. And then, getting them all to a level of conditioning and rhythm and like their peak performance is going to be a ways away yet, but this is the first step in that. That’s when we can see all the things that we can really do eventually.”
With their full complement of players, we can finally get an idea of how competitive the Sixers are this season. Nurse can also figure out which lineups work best.
“It’s up to the coaches, now,” said Andre Drummond, who started his second stint with the Sixers last season. “We have a full roster. I mean, it’s exciting. It’s the first time I’m playing with a full roster since I’ve been here, at least. So I’m looking forward to what we do, and guys stay healthy, and really getting that rhythm now. It’s almost that time of the year [close to when] the All-Star break comes. And, you know, I’m ready for whatever.”
George’s showcase
George had an efficient game. The small forward finished with 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting — including making 4 of 8 three-pointers — along with 5 of 6 foul shots. He also had five assists, four rebounds, two steals, and a block.
Most of his damage occurred in the second quarter, when he scored 13 points on 4-for-5 shooting, making 3 of 4 three-pointers. He also had a block and a steal while logging 10:12 of the quarter.
Critics will point out that George’s domination came against the Eastern Conference’s next-to-last-place Wizards squad, who were missing five players due to injuries.
But he has been playing well all season. And he usually steps up when his number is called. So his second-quarter dominance is why the Sixers signed him to a four-year, $211.5 million contract last season. It’s also the type of domination that quiets the critics who say that the 35-year-old is washed up.
The selfless player is comfortable deferring to Embiid and Maxey so they can all shine.
“Obviously, Joel and Tyrese are our two engines,” George said. “Those guys are going to, rightfully so, demand attention, demand the ball in moments to score and put points up for us. I got to fit in, find my shots, my opportunities, and moments to be aggressive. That’s what I’m trying to do.
“But more than anything, defensively, I know I can still be elite. I can still make plays. I can still get us extra possessions, limit the [opposing team’s] best player, or just make things tough with the opposing player. And, then just, you know, try to be a calming voice, keep us level, keep us pretty much even keeled, but still apply pressure when we’re not playing defensively.”
In addition to playing quality defense, he sees his role as helping run the offense and stepping up when needed. And George came through in the second quarter, which is always a good sign for the Sixers.
“That’s Paul George, man,” Edgecombe said. “He’s elite. He’s an elite scorer, an elite defender. That’s something he’s always been known for. The things he does don’t show up on a stat sheet.
“But we all know that he can score the rock any given time.”
