Despite being without Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey for the past week, the Sixers somehow went 3-1 over that stretch. Their level of competition wasn’t the greatest—beating the Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic isn’t akin to blowing out the Boston Celtics or Milwaukee Bucks—but staying afloat while being that shorthanded is commendable in and of itself.
The Sixers’ supporting cast kept rolling Monday night upon Embiid’s return against the Atlanta Hawks. Although Embiid paced them with a team-high 30 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, he got plenty of help from his less-heralded teammates.
With their stars sidelined, the Sixers’ remaining rotation players have stepped into more featured roles over the past week.