76ers star Joel Embiid’s 39 point performance gets perfect capstone from Tyrese Maxey

The 2025-26 season has been an uneven one thus far for Joel Embiid. Embiid, recovering from knee issues that forced a premature end to his 2024-25 campaign, has been in and out of the Philadelphia 76ers’ lineup, and there’s been a noticeable decline in his production from his peak. At 31 years of age, there are some who believe that Embiid’s days as a superstar who can lead the 76ers to the promised land may be over.

But on Friday night in a 115-105 win over the Indiana Pacers, Embiid showed that he could very well have a bounce-back season as he continues to put his knee issues in the rearview mirror. The 2023 NBA MVP put up 39 points on 12-23 shooting from the field in his best performance yet in leading the 76ers to a win without Tyrese Maxey, who was not present for Friday night’s action due to an illness.

After the game, the 76ers’ star point guard, who wasn’t with the team on Friday night, gave Embiid his due props on his Instagram story for the performance he put up against the Pacers.

Tyrese Maxey reacts to Joel Embiid’s big game while watching from home #Sixers pic.twitter.com/wif73l6KHc

— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) December 13, 2025

76ers are now Tyrese Maxey’s team, but Joel Embiid is team’s biggest X-factor

Maxey is now without a doubt the 76ers’ best player. He is the man the team is relying on on a nightly basis amid the injury uncertainty to the likes of Embiid and Paul George. But Embiid is still the team’s biggest X-factor in their pursuit of a title.

When healthy, Embiid is a dominant scoring force who can impose his will against any opposition. Remember, he recorded his 70-point game against Victor Wembanyama. He can also be a game-changer on defense, although his athletic decline has rendered him less impactful on that end of the floor.

The 76ers’ main goal is to get Embiid healthy, and seeing him score 39 on Friday should at least be a good sign for Philly moving forward.

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