Why Brian Windhorst believes 76ers can win the Eastern Conference

After the Philadelphia 76ers won a thriller against the Houston Rockets on Thursday, 128-122, the team has found itself at a 24-19 record and fifth in the Eastern Conference. With 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe sending a message to the NBA about the talents of stars like Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, ESPN’s NBA analyst Brian Windhorst spoke about the chances that the team has down the line.

The conversation centered around Embiid, who in the win over the Rockets recorded 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, having played in his 24th game of the season. Windhorst would go on to say that with how Embiid and Maxey have been playing along with the other players they have, the East is “gettable” for the franchise this season.

“But if you’ve got Embiid playing like this, and you’ve got Maxey playing with an all-NBA player, and the supporting cast they have. The Eastern Conference is gettable for them. Let’s just be honest,” Windhorst said.

Brian Windhorst says the 76ers could win the Easter Conference

“If you've got [Joel] Embiid playing like this and you've got [Tyrese] Maxey playing like an All-NBA player, and the supporting cast they have, the Eastern Conference is gettable for them.”pic.twitter.com/qz15xmDI5b

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 23, 2026

Brian Windhorst on the health of 76ers’ Joel Embiid

The 76ers are being represented by Maxey in starting the All-Star game, and with Embiid coming back to his elite level of play, the team could be dangerous in the postseason. Windhorst spoke more about Embiid and how he played 46 minutes in Thursday’s contest, signaling a great sign in his health.

“Well, you look at this game, okay, triple double, awesome, amazing, ninth of his career. But I’m looking at 46 minutes,” Windhorst said. “They go to overtime. They’re like ‘Joel, just keep playing,’ which means that he is feeling good. We’ve seen the dunks start to come up over the last couple of weeks.”

“And he’s also trolling people on social media. He trolled his former teammate Furkan Korkmaz after this,” Windhorst continued. “So, you know he’s on his game when he is playing that many minutes. And let’s just be honest, I have no idea whether it can last. I hope it can last.”

At any rate, it remains to be seen if Philadelphia can keep it up with their next game on Saturday against the New York Knicks.

The post Why Brian Windhorst believes 76ers can win the Eastern Conference appeared first on ClutchPoints.