A wild day in the world of the Sixers culminated in — you may not believe this — a wild 48-minute basketball game.
Joel Embiid returned to action after missing 15 consecutive games due to a left foot sprain and left knee injury management, leading the Sixers to a strong start. There were predictable bumps in the road, but, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey were too good for the new-look Dallas Mavericks to overcome after a slew of late-game haymakers thrown by each team. Embiid posted a triple-double in his return, totaling 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, including this go-ahead basket in the final minute of the game:
JOEL EMBIID. pic.twitter.com/d6z6WX1LCZ
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 5, 2025
Hours after trading Caleb Martin to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Quentin Grimes and the return of their own 2025 second-round pick, the Sixers took the floor against those same Mavericks. And minutes before they took the floor, they ruled out KJ Martin because of a pending trade.
But a win is a win, right? Here is what stood out from the Embiid's return and the Sixers' 118-116 victory, capping off the most chaotic day the team has had all season:
Embiid leaves his mark in return
No matter what happened in this game, the story was always going to be the performance of Embiid, who the Sixers announced about an hour and 45 minutes prior to tip-off would be available to make his return.
When returning from his previous extended absences, Embiid has typically gotten off to notably slow starts as he tries to work his way back into live action. No such thing was required this time around, as in his first stint of seven minutes and change, Embiid made all three of his shot attempts, totaling seven points, two assists and a rebound. The most notable play was a classic Embiid move, operating near the free throw line, freezing his defender with a hesitation dribble and rising up for a jumper while drawing a foul:
1 v 1 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/0HU1GELhZ6
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 5, 2025
Embiid, who according to Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was not playing under a strict minutes limit but would likely be in the "ballpark" of 30 minutes, has often played in shorter stints when returning from injuries. But his second stint lasted about nine minutes, and he added another six points on four shot attempts.
Embiid works his way into the paint and finishes with the pullup jumper over Daniel Gafford pic.twitter.com/8Cdmtxkd7M
— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) February 5, 2025
It was noticeable from the outset how much more comfortable Embiid seemed playing in the flow of the action than he usually has in his return games. Rather than forcing the issue for the sake of getting shots up, he played with patience and a healthy level of aggression. Embiid actually came back for the final three minutes of the half in what was a surprising move, as it brought him to 19 minutes before intermission. But he looked to be in good condition, and finished the half with a stellar line: 18 points, five rebounds and three assists on 7-for-10 shooting from the field. The only oddity: Embiid missed four of his seven free throw attempts in the first half.
Joel Embiid did not care about the help from Dallas. pic.twitter.com/f8KNDFyMgQ
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) February 5, 2025
Of course, disaster nearly struck early in the second half, when Embiid's run of continued dominance was interrupted as he took a hit to the face. Nurse had to call a timeout to afford Embiid an opportunity to regain his footing, but Embiid turned out to be alright. He remained in the game after that timeout and played the remainder of his scheduled stint.
The interesting question came at the end of the third quarter. The Sixers had surged to a seven-point lead with a major run during Embiid's rest, but he had already logged 25 minutes. Tyrese Maxey was up to 31 minutes after playing the entire third quarter. Nurse made the difficult decision to rest both, but after 77 disastrous seconds summoned Embiid, with Maxey rejoining him later. They both got right back to work, extending the Sixers' lead to eight points and giving them some significant breathing room.
Given what Embiid has looked like in his prior return games this season, his outstanding performance on Tuesday is a massively encouraging sign. But of course, there remains a whole lot to prove for the former league MVP who has still played in just 14 games this season.
Odds and ends
• Maxey submitted yet another fantastic opening act in this one, surging when Embiid began resting. Maxey, who finished the first quarter with 11 points and five assists, is in the midst of the best stretch of his NBA career in terms of blending three-level scoring with playmaking for others.
📽️ 9 quick ones for @TyreseMaxey: pic.twitter.com/Q8LzpWrMXI
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 5, 2025
Before the game, Mavericks head coach and Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd compared Maxey to MVP contender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, saying they are similar in that each player adds a new significant skill each season.
• Guerschon Yabusele started alongside Joel Embiid, a rare appearance at power forward for a player who has always been a natural four. Before the game, Nurse said that he was starting Yabusele next to Embiid because he wants the team to have its five best players on the floor as much as possible. It was a strong vote of confidence that has absolutely been earned.
• Between the complete trade, the pending trade and a slew of injured veterans, Nurse only had nine players available in this one, and he used all of them. Maxey, Embiid, Yabusele, Justin Edwards and Kelly Oubre Jr. started, with the bench unit being made up of Ricky Council IV, Reggie Jackson, Jeff Dowtin Jr. and Adem Bona. Dowtin played earlier on Tuesday in Delaware, logging 20 minutes for the Blue Coats in a G League game.
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