Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers kept the ball rolling against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.
Following their 139-136 thriller against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sixers paid a visit to Texas and managed to keep Embiid on the floor for the second-straight game. He hasn’t missed consecutive games since December 20, which was the second matchup of a back-to-back set.
At this stage of the season, Embiid is still a work in progress. After undergoing multiple knee surgeries over the past two seasons, he hasn’t quite found enough consistency to work his way back into the MVP conversation.
Fortunately, the Sixers have been able to watch Tyrese Maxey blossom into a true No. 1, allowing Embiid to have room for improvement. As the veteran center continues to settle in, he feels confident enough to suggest that he’s getting back on track, which could be a scary message for the league.
“I feel like I’m getting back to myself,” Embiid said after Thursday’s win over the Mavs.
“I feel like I’m getting back to myself”
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) January 2, 2026
Joel Embiid after scoring 22 points tonight and he is averaging close to 30 points over his last six games
He says he’s getting back to his level of moving his feet and playing defensively.  pic.twitter.com/T3ex9IIVfm
In a game against Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, and the struggling Mavs, Embiid checked in for 35 minutes. It was the first time this season he exceeded 25 minutes two games in a row.
During that time, Embiid went 9-18 from the field, and hit all but one of his five free throws. He racked up 22 points, while dishing out six assists, and coming down with four rebounds.
The Sixers defeated the Mavs 123-108. VJ Edgecombe (23 points) and Tyrese Maxey (34 points) were the Sixers’ two leading scorers. Quentin Grimes dropped 19 points off the bench.
Since the start of December, Embiid has played in 7 of 12 games. The veteran center has averaged 25.9 points on 42 percent shooting from the field. Along with his scoring, he has averaged 8.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 blocks.
The Sixers are 3-4 during that time. While they still have work to do as a unit, getting Embiid back to his most confident self will be a major development for the Sixers in the new year. The Sixers will take the court once again on Saturday night to face the New York Knicks on the road.