PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey will miss Friday’s game against the Indiana Pacers due to illness. When factoring in all the heavy lifting he has to do in the 2025-26 season, one might think the Sixers are going to have a rough night.
Instead, reliable people stepped up and loudly got the job done.
advertise
2023 MVP Joel Embiid broke out in a 115-105 victory over the Pacers. The big man played 32 minutes, made 12 of 23 shots, and scored 39 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. It’s a reminder to critics that he can, in fact, still do it. It’s easy to forget how talented Embiid is given all the injury setbacks, but for those who think there’s nothing left for him to do, people might want to think again.
“I don’t know,” Embiid laughed after the win. “It’s a good thing for people who think I can’t do it, but I can’t change their opinion. Obviously, it feels good to play like this and I feel like I can do it. I think the dynamic is obviously different sometimes.”
The dynamics are certainly different. The Sixers’ offense is now more Maxey-centric, with the sixth-year guard taking on more responsibility on the other end of the floor, but Embiid can still put up big numbers when needed. He showed it against the Pacers when Philadelphia needed an offensive leader.
“I want to play more as a team, so make sure everyone is involved, so if somebody has to sacrifice, I will, but in some cases, when I do it, or a night like tonight, it has to happen,” Embiid added. “So, I don’t think it has to be done when everyone is healthy, but I will do it if necessary.”
Embiid also made two three-pointers in this game. His first 3-pointer — a step-back three against Pacers big man Jay Huff late in the first half — ended a streak of 19 consecutive missed 3-pointers. He’s happy to finally see someone get through all the struggles on that end of the floor.
advertise
“I think out of all the three-pointers I’ve made, this is the one I’ve made,” Embiid added. “The hardest one. Off the dribble. It’s going to be okay. I think my hands haven’t been feeling right lately. So, I’ve got a couple days to recover and work on some things with my guy Drew. So, I think having that consistency on the court is going to help a lot, but it’s just a little thing on my fingers. So, it’s going to get better and better.”
Embiid and the 76ers will now face the Atlanta Hawks on the road on Sunday night.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wired: Sixers star Joel Embiid’s performance against Pacers serves as reminder
