It was a perfect road trip for the 76ers (45-21), as they won decisively Wednesday in Houston, 135-115, for a season-best-tying sixth consecutive victory.
The Sixers saw balanced contributions from across the roster in the win, including a combined 56 points from the reserves. No Sixer played longer than 26 minutes, and seven Sixers finished in double-figures.
The severely shorthanded Rockets (16-50), which used only seven players, were led by Kelly Olynyk’s 27 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, a steal, and four blocks.
The Sixers remain atop the Eastern Conference, 2.0 games ahead of the no. 2 Nets. The Sixers need four more wins in their six remaining games to guarantee the no. 1 seed.
The Sixers are now 20-14 on the road this season, the best road record in the East.
Key Contributors:
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Joel Embiid
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Embiid notched a 34-point, 12-rebound double-double in his 25 minutes of play, plus two assists and a block.
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Embiid shot 10-for-17 from the field and 14-for-16 from the foul stripe.
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Tobias Harris
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Harris shot 5-for-10 from the field, finishing with 15 points, two rebounds, and three assists in 26 minutes, and shot a perfect 4-for-4 from the line.
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Danny Green
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Green started his outing a perfect 3-for-3 in the first quarter, totaling nine points and eight rebounds, plus an assist and a steal in 24 minutes.
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Ben Simmons
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Since Simmons returned to the lineup (non-COVID illness), the Sixers are 6-0. The All-Star added 10 points, three rebounds, and three assists Wednesday,
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Shake Milton
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Milton scored a bench-high 19 points, plus two rebounds, an assist, a steal, and two blocks in 22 minutes.
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Dwight Howard
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Howard recorded 10 points, eight rebounds, and an assist, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field.
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Matisse Thybulle
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Thybulle, who finished at a game-high +24, recorded three steals and three blocks, plus five points, two rebounds, and two assists in 20 minutes.
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Tyrese Maxey
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Maxey tallied 12 points, four rebounds, and seven assists on 4-for-7 shooting in his 22 minutes.
Quote to Note:
Wholesome.
Up Next:
The Sixers are headed back to South Philadelphia, hosting New Orleans and Detroit for a Friday-Saturday back-to-back.
The Pelicans (30-36) occupy the no. 11 spot in the Western Conference, going 5-5 in their last 10.
New Orleans won its first meeting with the Sixers this season on Apr. 9, 101-94, behind Zion Williamson’s 37 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists.
Williamson leads the Pelicans in scoring, averaging 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in his sophomore season.
Friday’s matchup tips at 7:00 p.m. ET.