PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid played basketball on Sunday night.

Sure, the Philadelphia 76ers lost a 142-134 heartbreaking thriller of a double-overtime game to the Atlanta Hawks. Yes, the 76ers are now 10-9 — 6-9 after a 4-0 start. You can document Sunday night as the first time Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey have been on the floor together this season. And, in Embiid’s own words, the Sixers have things to fix after losing for a sixth time this season on their home floor at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

After three weeks of managing a knee that didn’t quite feel right, Embiid played. After nine consecutive missed games, he got on the floor and played a season-high 30 minutes. He looked terrific early offensively. He still doesn’t look like himself defensively or when rebounding the basketball. Despite a loss that ticked off the Sixers’ players, almost to a man, Embiid’s presence constituted a good thing.

“I feel OK now,” Embiid said. “It felt good to be out there. I want to play basketball. Obviously, I had a few core sessions. If you have a chance to play, you play. If the knee doesn’t respond the way you want it to, then that’s something you have to work through. If people want to say that I don’t want to play, that’s on them. I think history has shown that I will do anything just to play one game of basketball.”

As this season matures, the depth and competitiveness of the Eastern Conference are becoming apparent. The Sixers can’t just piece this thing together and expect to win. The loss Sunday is a prime example. Embiid and George were both on a minutes restriction, which meant there were critical times when both would be off the floor.

George’s night was done in the first overtime. Embiid couldn’t play in the second overtime. Once the Sixers didn’t have Embiid and his gravity at their disposal, the offense in the second overtime became Maxey or bust. And that’s what allowed Atlanta to ultimately find the defensive stops it would need.

start us off, @JoelEmbiid! pic.twitter.com/aEWont4lUL

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 30, 2025

“It was tough not having out there in the second overtime,” Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse said. “He got us some open space to play in, with him just being on the floor. He created a lot of offense for us.”

The Sixers need to have their three best players on the floor at the same time. When that happened Sunday, sometimes it got clunky. There were times when the three couldn’t anticipate the next move for one another. And that comes from simply not having been on the floor together much over the last two years. You could also see the potential of those three. There were times when the offense flowed seamlessly through them.

They are so talented individually that any one of them is capable of carrying a team. Even if their time together is limited, the Sixers would like to see a large sample of what the three look like together. With the Eastern Conference proving a bear to negotiate, the Sixers have been racking up losses with makeshift lineups due to injuries. A full complement of players is no longer a luxury for Philadelphia. It’s a necessity.

The Sixers are in ninth in the East. The first reaction would be to point out that it’s still early. Philadelphia is playing a lot of home games right now. This is arguably the part of the season in which the Sixers should pad their record, and it’s concerning that they haven’t taken advantage.

“I think us three getting on the floor together is what the city has been wanting to see,” George said on Saturday night, following a win over the Brooklyn Nets. “I don’t think people understand how much we all want to get on the floor together, and how hard we are working to be on the floor.”

Tyrese Maxey recorded 44 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. He also played 52 minutes. (Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)

Maybe the biggest issue is that Embiid and George need to be on the floor in order to take pressure off Maxey, who is having an all-NBA level season, but is playing a mountain of minutes. The Sixers understand that Embiid won’t play every game, and neither is George, but Maxey needs help. It’s tough to tell which statistic was more impressive against the Hawks. Maxey scored 44 points to go with nine assists and seven rebounds. He also played 52 minutes.

In the locker room following the loss, Maxey was upset with himself for missing the two free throws in the first overtime that would have potentially sealed the win. George quickly reminded Maxey that he hit the 3-pointer that originally sent the game into overtime. What’s clear is that Maxey, for all of his brilliance, could use a game or two where he doesn’t play 40 minutes and where he doesn’t have a high usage. The cumulative effect is draining, and it’s easy to see that he could start to wear down in some games.

And that makes the presence of Embiid and George even more important.

“I do feel bad,” Embiid said. “Obviously, with the minutes he has to play and the load he has to handle, it’s a lot. I’ve been there. I know how it feels. You just have to trust in what you’re doing, and in God, and be ok with the fact that whatever happens, happens.”