PHILADELPHIA — A collective applause rumbled through the Wells Fargo Center with about four minutes to play in the third quarter, as Joel Embiid walked to the 76ers bench.
It’s unclear if the All-NBA center was on a minutes restriction in his return from a three-game absence because of foot soreness. But the overwhelming effort of Embiid and his team — combined with the Detroit Pistons’ putrid play — made that irrelevant.
Embiid’s efficient 36 points and 11 rebounds, along with James Harden’s second consecutive triple-double (16 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds), propelled the Sixers to blow past the shorthanded Pistons, 147-116, Tuesday night in their most overpowering performance of the season.
