Joel Embiid

In a clash of titans, it was Zion Williamson left standing at the expense of Joel Embiid.

The New Orleans Pelicans superstar went off for 36 points and five rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, leading his team to a 127-116 win.

Embiid didn't exactly roll over without a fight. The superstar center had a vintage performance of his own, putting up 37 points and eight rebounds while trying to will his team to a tough road victory.

But the one-two punch of Williamson and CJ McCollum (42 points, career- and franchise-high 11 threes) was too much to overcome.

McCollum was shooting fireballs from beyond the arc all night long:

Unsurprisingly, NBA Twitter enjoyed every moment of the showdown:

It was an incredibly impressive offensive showing from the Pelicans (23-12), especially without Brandon Ingram available because of a toe injury.

For the Sixers (20-14), meanwhile, it was a second straight loss after an impressive eight-game winning streak.

The good news for the Sixers was that star guard Tyrese Maxey returned after a lengthy layoff. The bad news was that he struggled in his return, coming off the bench to post just nine points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field in 19 minutes. Some rust was to be expected, however, after missing over a month.

It didn't help that James Harden had a particularly odd game, offering up a 20-point, 10-assist double-double but also adding seven turnovers on the evening, and he only attempted eight shots from the field.

It may not have mattered had he played better. This night clearly belonged to Zion's bulldozing drives into the lane and McCollum's sniper-scope precision. Had the Sixers played a perfect game, maybe they could have overcome that duo's offensive fireworks.

But they didn't play a perfect game, and they left New Orleans with a loss.

The NBA's hottest team resides in Philadelphia.

Joel Embiid had 35 points and James Harden added a 29-point, 13-assist double-double as the 76ers came from behind to earn a 119-112 win over the New York Knicks on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden.

The Sixers have reeled off eight straight wins, tied with the Brooklyn Nets for the longest streak in the NBA.

Sunday's Christmas matinee did not start the way Philly hoped, as the Knicks got off to a red-hot start and led by as many as 14 points in the first half. Embiid sleepwalked through a quiet first quarter before finally turning it on late in the second, scoring seven points in the final two minutes, nine seconds to help the Sixers pull within three at the break.

The margin closed to one by the end of the third quarter, with Harden taking on a starring role thanks to a series of jaw-dropping threes. His 29 points were his most in more than two months, while his five threes tied a season high.

Dreadful over the first three quarters, the Philadelphia defense finally locked in during the fourth, limiting the Knicks to just 16 points.

New York has dropped three straight since its own eight-game winning streak. The Knicks are now just 0.5 games from dropping back into the play-in picture.

The Sixers (20-12) would be the East's No. 5 seed if the season ended today.

The Philadelphia 76ers won their fourth straight game with a 118-106 victory over the Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors on Friday at Wells Fargo Center.

Jordan Poole's 29-point night wasn't enough for the Warriors as the duo of Joel Embiid and James Harden took over down the stretch.

Embiid finished with 34 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in 36 minutes. He made 11-of-23 shots from the floor and 2-of-3 shots from deep. It was his sixth straight game with 30-plus points.

Harden, meanwhile, finished with 27 points, nine assists and five rebounds in 37 minutes, making 8-of-15 shots from the floor and 4-of-8 shots from behind the arc.

NBA Twitter was quick to praise the veteran big man for his performance against the reigning champions:

When Embiid plays this well, the Sixers can compete with any team in the NBA. Come the end of the season, the big man might very well be MVP for the first time after finishing second to Nikola Jokić in 2021-22.

The Sixers moved to 16-12 with the win. They'll be back in action at home Monday against the Toronto Raptors.

Despite his dominance in recent seasons, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid feels that some Sixers fans would like for him to be traded.

When speaking to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Embiid said: "I don't know. Sixers fans, they want to trade me."

When asked if he truly believes that to be the case, Embiid responded: "I do believe that. They want to trade me."

Embiid would yield quite a trade package, as he is averaging a career-high 33.3 points per game, is trending toward his sixth consecutive All-Star selection and is in the mix to win his first NBA MVP award.

Since missing the first two seasons of his NBA career because of injury, Embiid has been a force and arguably the best all-around big man in the league.

He reached new heights last season when he won his first scoring title by averaging 30.6 points per game to go along with 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 blocks, 1.4 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals. By virtue of those numbers, Embiid finished second to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić in the NBA MVP voting.

While the Sixers have been unable to get past the second round of the playoffs during Embiid's tenure, expectations were sky-high entering the 2022-23 season because of the re-signing of James Harden, the progression of Tyrese Maxey and the acquisition of supporting cast members such as De'Anthony Melton, Danuel House Jr., Montrezl Harrell and P.J. Tucker.

Despite that, the 76ers are off to an uneven 15-12 start, although that is still good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

Embiid has undoubtedly been the driving force behind any success the Sixers have had this season thanks to his averages of 33.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.6 blocks, 1.1 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals per game.

While Philadelphia sports fans are notorious for being tough on their teams and players at times, Fischer assured Embiid that no logical Sixers fans truly want him to be traded.

Fischer suggested it is more likely that fans would like to see other moves made, including the potential firing of head coach Doc Rivers, who has received the brunt of the criticism for the team's shortcomings in recent years.

Ultimately, Embiid noted that he is "grateful" to be a franchise player in Philadelphia even though it isn't necessarily the easiest position to be in.

Players like Harden, Maxey and Tobias Harris are going to play big roles if the Sixers go on a deep playoff run and potentially even contend for a championship this season, but there is little doubt that Embiid will be the biggest factor in whatever they achieve.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid dropped 53 points on 20-of-32 shooting alongside 12 rebounds to lead his team to a 131-113 home win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.

Embiid, who has now averaged 41.3 points in his last four games, also made all 11 of his free throws. He scored 20 points in the second quarter alone en route to 28 at the half.

Sunday marked the second time Embiid scored 50 or more this season. He previously scored 59 points in a 105-98 win over the Utah Jazz on Nov. 13.

In addition, his 33.9 points per game leads the NBA.

Twitter raved about Embiid's tremendous night, which vaulted the 14-12 76ers to fifth in the Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia will now host the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.

Joel Embiid was typically awesome on Friday night. But it was a star turn from De'Anthony Melton, of all people, who helped spur the Philadelphia 76ers to victory.

Melton went off for 33 points and seven steals, hitting eight three-pointers in the Sixers' 133-122 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

That spoiled the return to the starting lineup for the trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Patrick Beverley.

Joel Embiid added a game-high 38 points to go along with 12 rebounds and five assists in the win. Anthony Davis led the way for the Lakers with 31 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks.

But that's what Embiid—who had as many points by himself in the first quarter (20) as the entire Lakers team—does with some regularity. Melton's huge night, on the other hand, was unexpected.

And it had NBA Twitter shook:

The Sixers needed every bit of Melton's shot-making and defense in a game that looked as though it would be comfortable before unraveling into disarray.

Philly led by as many as 18 points with about 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Lakers chipped away at that lead, pulling to within three points when Matisse Thybulle inexplicably fouled Austin Reaves during a three-point attempt with just nine seconds remaining.

Reaves promptly hit two of his three free throws, but the Sixers turned over the ensuing inbounds pass and Anthony Davis was fouled.

Davis then missed one of his two free-throw attempts and the game went to overtime, where the Sixers outscored the Lakers 13-2 to secure a game they probably should have easily won in regulation.

But a win's a win. And it wouldn't have happened without Melton's immense performance.

Despite missing James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris because of injury, the Philadelphia 76ers nearly beat the Minnesota Timberwolves before falling at home, 112-109 on Saturday.

The 76ers were in this one because of center Joel Embiid, who continues his torrid pace. Last year's NBA MVP runner-up collected 32 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals. He notably went 18-of-20 from the free-throw line as well.

Minnesota led this game by as many as 20 points and held a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter, but Embiid and Shake Milton (27 points on the night) combined to score the next 12 for Philly to cut the lead to 105-102. The last bucket in that run consisted of an impeccable Embiidd effort on both ends.

Embiid's performance was nothing short of exceptional on a night where he appeared to have suffered a significant injury involving teammate Georges Niang.

But he stayed in the game to nearly will Philly to the win.

After the 12-0 run, the Timberwolves scored the next five before the 76ers rolled off a 7-0 run to slash the deficit to 110-109. However, Minnesota held on after the 76ers came up empty on their next two possessions.

Despite the loss, Embiid was the best player on the floor, which has been the case for a while now.

Twitter praised Embiid after another dominant performance.

Philadelphia will return to the court Tuesday at home against the Brooklyn Nets.

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid had been slowed by an illness earlier this season, but the big man proved he's fully recovered with his most dominant performance of the year Sunday.

Embiid poured in 59 points while adding 11 rebounds, eight assists and seven blocks to lead the Sixers to a 105-98 win over the Utah Jazz. He shot 19-of-28 from the field and 20-of-24 from the free-throw line. The win improves Philadelphia to 7-7.

The Sixers needed every bit of Embiid's scoring outburst for the victory. Tyrese Maxey was the team's second-leading scorer with 18 points, and no other player reached double figures.

Social media was full of praise for the five-time All-Star for his dominance Sunday:

Embiid's incredible performance is a follow-up from his 42-point, 10-rebound effort in Saturday's win over the Atlanta Hawks. He has scored 101 points in a 24-hour span, shouldering the scoring load in the absence of Sixers guard James Harden.

Embiid will get some much-needed rest as the Sixers have time off before returning to action Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid told reporters he has been limited by a shoulder injury.

"I don't know what happened. But some days I can't lift my arm up. And when I go block shots, I really feel it," he said Saturday, per Sam DiGiovanni of Clutch Points. "I don't know what’s going on. But it's whatever."

Embiid has missed time due to a knee injury and illness this year, although the shoulder issue appears to be a new problem.

The 28-year-old has suffered a number of ailments over his seven-year career, and he has never appeared in more than 68 games in a season, which came during the 2021-22 campaign.

Embiid is off to a solid start this season, averaging 29.3 points, 10 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 blocks in nine games while shooting 51.4 percent from the floor. However, his numbers have dipped from the 2021-22 season, in which he averaged 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 blocks while shooting 49.9 percent from the floor.

When Embiid is sidelined, P.J. Tucker sees time at center for the Sixers. In addition, Montrezl Harrell is called upon to handle a heavier workload.

The 76ers will need Embiid to remain healthy if they want a chance to contend for an NBA title this year. However, even when he has been healthy, Philly has struggled, posting a 6-7 record through 13 games.