After an emphatic win over Kevin Durant and James Harden this past Thursday, the Sixers survived an underwhelming first half to pull out a win over the Rockets. The W moves the Sixers to 20-16 starts the new year off right.
Here are a few observations from tonight’s 133-113 victory over Houston:
- Joel Embiid’s passing has been a show so far this season. With Ben Simmons out, Embiid has needed to increasingly function as a playmaker. His assist rate has jumped from 16.9 percent last year to 21.4 percent going into tonight. He finished with 10 assists and looks increasingly comfortable moving the ball around out of the post.