Embiid's 1st dunk of season fires up rising Sixers

NEW YORK -- It took more than two months, but Joel Embiid had his first dunk of the season to cap the Philadelphia 76ers' 130-119 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday night.

The win moved Philadelphia (19-14) five games over .500 for the first time this season.

"It was whatever," said Embiid, who finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. "It was an easy one. I wish it would have been one off the backboard. ... That's the next step."

Toward the end of the lopsided victory, Embiid got the ball under the basket for a transition dunk and the final points of the game. Embiid and his teammates reacted to the dunk with a mock celebration.

Rookie VJ Edgecombe, who also scored 26 points, said jokingly that Embiid "actually got up a little bit" on the dunk.

"I was so happy," said Tyrese Maxey, who led the 76ers with 36 points in his latest scintillating performance of this season. "So now, it's my fault because the play before, I dropped him off a pass, thinking he wasn't going to dunk it. Now he's telling me to throw him a lob. So I'm going to throw him a lob, and we're going to see how that goes."

"You saw he wanted to get one," 76ers coach Nick Nurse said before laughing, "It was a pretty cheap way of getting it, I think. But at least we know he can still dunk, and he can check that off his list."

It was indicative of the playful mood inside the 76ers' locker room after Philadelphia closed out a 10-day road trip with its third straight victory.

The Knicks (23-12) were playing on the second night of a back-to-back set after losing at home to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, but using that as an excuse for Saturday's loss would undersell Philadelphia's performance.

The win was a reminder of the Sixers' potential when they are at full strength. They could move closer to that as Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee) and Trendon Watford (oblique) continue to rehab their injuries.

"I think the biggest difference is we just feel better as a unit," Paul George said. "We trust in the process of this team. And I think just a year under your belt, you just naturally gain camaraderie, and I think it'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 being out on that floor, playing on both ends. And I think we're just jelling."

The next few weeks could prove pivotal for the Sixers, who play 11 of their next 15 games at home. The team hasn't enjoyed this level of health and continuity in years.

That especially goes for Embiid, who has begun to get into a rhythm on the court, scoring at least 20 points in eight consecutive games. He also seems to be getting back to his old self away from the court.

Asked how he felt about returning to Madison Square Garden for the first time since Game 5 of Philadelphia's first-round playoff loss to New York in 2024, Embiid said, "I love being here. This is my favorite place in the entire world, New York. ... It's always good to be here and talk back to the fans. They went quiet today. ... I guess that's what happens when you're losing the whole game.

"But it's always fun to go back and forth with them, and it's good. Sometimes it's good to be liked. Sometimes it's good to be hated."

For Embiid and the Sixers, what's more important is being relevant again in the Eastern Conference after last season's struggles. Saturday's win moved them a half-game out of fourth place in the wide-open East.

"We got a long way to go," Nurse said. "I told you at the start of the season, we were in a big hole we had to dig out of, and we're still digging. There's a lot of conditioning, rhythm, health can get a little bit better, and we just keep building on that."