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Tim Bontemps
New York — It took more than two months, but joel embiid Had his first dunk of the season, and it was capped. philadelphia 76ers, 130-119 victory over new York Knicks on Saturday night.
The win moved Philadelphia (19-14) five games above .500 for the first time this season.
“It was anything,” said Embiid, who finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. “It was easy. I wish it was off the backboard. … This is the next step.”
At the end of the lopsided win, Embiid got the ball under the basket for a transition dunk, the final points of the game. Embiid and his teammates reacted with a mock celebration on the dunk.
Cheater VJ Edgecombewho also scored 26 points, joked that Embiid “actually got a little high” on the dunk.
“I was very happy,” said tyreese maxiWho led the 76ers with 36 points in his latest stellar performance this season. “So now, it’s my fault because before the game, I dropped him a pass, thinking he wouldn’t be able to dunk it. Now he’s asking me to throw him a ball. So, I’m going to throw him a ball, and we’ll see how it goes.”
“You saw he wanted to get one,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said before laughing, “I think it was a pretty cheap way to get it. But at least we know he can still dunk, and he can check it off his list.”
It was indicative of the playful mood inside the 76ers’ locker room after Philadelphia finished a 10-day road trip with its third straight win.
The Knicks (23-12) were playing for the second straight night after losing at home to Atlanta on Friday night, but using that as an excuse for Saturday’s loss would hurt Philadelphia’s performance.
This win was a reminder of the Sixers’ potential when they are at full strength. they could get closer to him kelly oubre jr(knee) and Trendon Watford (Indirectly) Continue rehabilitating their injuries.
“I think the biggest difference is that we feel better as a unit.” paul george Said. “We trust the process of this team. And I think just a year under your belt, you naturally gain camaraderie, and I think that’s carrying over. I think it’s safe to say everybody in this locker room, we’re starting to enjoy the game. We’re starting to enjoy playing on both ends of that floor. And I think we’re just adjusting.”
The next few weeks could prove crucial for the Sixers, who will play 11 of their next 15 games at home. The team has not enjoyed this level of health and consistency in years.
This especially goes for Embiid, who has begun to find his rhythm on the court and has scored at least 20 points in eight consecutive games. It also looks like he is returning to his old self away from the court.
When asked how he felt returning to Madison Square Garden for the first time since Philadelphia’s loss to New York in Game 5 of the 2024 first-round playoffs, Embiid said, “I love being here. This is my favorite place in the whole world, New York… It’s always good to be here and talk to the fans. They went quiet today… I think that’s what happens when you’re losing a whole game.”
“But it’s always fun to go back and forth with them, and that’s good. Sometimes, it’s good to be liked. Sometimes, it’s good to be hated.”
For Embiid and the Sixers, it is more important to become relevant again in the Eastern Conference after last season’s struggles. Saturday’s win moved them a half-game back of fourth place in the wide-open East.
“We still have a long way to go,” the nurse said. “I told you at the beginning of the season, we were in a big hole that we had to dig out of, and we’re still digging. There’s a lot of conditioning, rhythm, health maybe a little bit better, and we just continue to work on that.”
