OKLAHOMA CITY — Tyrese Maxey grinned as he broke into a little dance while greeting teammates coming off the floor for a fourth-quarter timeout.
His attire — a gray sweatsuit and red sneakers — was a reminder of what the 76ers were missing Saturday night against the Thunder. But his celebratory reaction to Matisse Thybulle’s third 3-pointer of the night illustrated how the Sixers have often succeeded without at least one of their stars this season.
The Sixers rode the first-half onslaught — along with Joel Embiid’s triple-double (16 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists) — to a 115-96 victory Saturday night at the Paycom Center in a game they played without starters Maxey, James Harden, and P.J. Tucker, who rested various injuries.
The Sixers (21-14) raced to a 33-point first-half lead by dominating on both ends of the floor. They shot 55.1% from the field before the break and held the Thunder to 37.2%. They also held a 32-16 rebounding edge and scored 40 points in the paint during that span.
The Thunder later cut that deficit to 17 points multiple times in the second half, but never got closer. Thybulle’s 3-pointer followed by a Tobias Harris tip-in put the Sixers up 106-82 with about five minutes remaining to all but seal the win.
Though Embiid reached his statistical benchmark for the first time this season (and the fifth time in his career), the Sixers’ effort was balanced and methodical.
Harris initially anchored the Sixers’ offense, making his first seven shots — while creating with the ball in his hands far more than when Harden and Maxey are available — and finishing with 23 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. De’Anthony Melton also stuffed the box score with 17 points, four rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks.
The Sixers next face a three-game home stand against the New Orleans Pelicans (Monday), Indiana Pacers (Wednesday), and Chicago Bulls (Friday).
Milton magic
While playing in front of about 20 family and friends from his nearby hometown of Tulsa, Shake Milton looked sharp sliding back into the starting role he held while Harden and Maxey were out for much of November with foot injuries.
He amassed 18 points, on a blend of driving scores and jumpers, and added four rebounds and five assists.
With Milton and Thybulle moving into the starting lineup, Furkan Korkmaz and Danuel House also returned to the rotation Saturday night.
Fast start
The Sixers’ 38-point first quarter set the tone for the blowout.
They made their first six shots, including an old-fashioned three-point play by Harris that put the Sixers up, 16-4. That advantage stretched to 20 points, at 34-14, on a Melton coast-to-coast rebound and driving finish. Harris went 4-for-4 in the period for 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
In the period, the Sixers held Oklahoma City to 8-of-20 from the floor and 1-of-7 from beyond the arc.
That lead ballooned to 29 points on a tough Harris finish off the glass, to 31 on an Embiid dunk, and to 33 on a three-pointer by House late in the second quarter.
Embiid climbs franchise scoring ladder
Embiid’s 16 points was a relatively tame output by his standards after the NBA’s leading scorer finished with at least 35 points in his previous four outings.
But that point total did push Embiid past Andre Iguodala (9,422) for ninth on the Sixers’ all-time scoring list with 9,431. Up next are Mo Cheeks (10,429 points), Johnny Kerr (11,699), Billy Cunningham (13,626), and Charles Barkley (14,184).
