The Philadelphia 76ers won a thrilling overtime game against the Houston Rockets Thursday night, outscoring Houston 13-7 in the extra frame to earn a six-point victory.
Tyrese Maxey scored a team-high 36 points to go along with 10 assists, two rebounds and three steals. Kelly Oubre Jr. also added 26 points on an efficient 10-for-14 shooting night including 4-for-5 shooting from three-point range to go along with four rebounds and three assists.
That said, it was all about Joel Embiid. Philadelphia's big man finished the night with 32 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, one steal and one block.
Embiid also led the team in minutes, finishing with 46. This was the highest total Embiid had recorded in a regular season game in over three years.
After the game, head coach Nick Nurse spoke about what Embiid's performance meant. "It's certainly a pretty big step forward, I think, for sure."
This was especially encouraging, given Embiid's extensive injury history. After being drafted by the 76ers, Embiid missed two full seasons due to injury. After suiting up for Philadelphia for the first time in the 2016-17 season, Embiid has played in fewer than 40 games four times throughout his 10-year career.
Now, appearing to be back and fully healthy, the 76ers have to like their chances at making a playoff push.
Not to mention, it'll give Philadelphia fans a great opportunity to see what Embiid and Maxey can accomplish together, especially with Maxey having tremendously improved since their last playoff run.
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