As the NBA’s leading scorer in pursuit of a third consecutive scoring title, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is such a force that his absence causes reverberations throughout the team’s rotation.
After going 0-4 this season when Embiid was not available, the 76ers managed to pull off a 112-92 road victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday as Embiid sat out a second consecutive game with an ankle injury.
Embiid will miss the third game of a four-game road trip when the 76ers face the Houston Rockets on Friday. He was still receiving treatment at the team’s facility near Philadelphia as of Wednesday.
The victory in Orlando not only served as a needed result, it also provided an optimal view of how Philadelphia can thrive without Embiid dominating as usual.
The Sixers found success by utilizing a balanced attack paced by Tyrese Maxey’s 23 points, while Tobias Harris and De’Anthony Melton scored 22 apiece.
Philadelphia had been searching for that perfect blend of scoring distribution in its previous four games without Embiid.
The Rockets struggled with injury issues as well on Wednesday, as forward Dillon Brooks’ absence was felt in a 129-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Brooks (oblique strain) would have drawn the primary defensive assignment against Suns forward Kevin Durant. The Rockets were forced to pivot, and they ran multiple defenders at Durant in an attempt to make him a facilitator instead of a primary offensive linchpin.
That strategy backfired, as Durant tied a career high with 16 assists while also posting a game-high-tying 27 points.
The Rockets had their injury woes compounded when starting forward Jabari Smith Jr. departed in the third quarter with a left ankle sprain. He and Brooks will both sit out against Philadelphia.
