PHILADELPHIA — When Joel Embiid grabbed the rebound, waved off his point guard, dribbled the ball the length of the floor, then finished the sequence off with a basket, he knew he was in a good place physically.

For most of this season, as the Philadelphia 76ers’ superstar center has worked his way back from the knee injury that’s cost him a chunk of the last two years, he’s hesitated to do that. Normally, he’s grabbed rebounds and hit his guards with outlet passes, content to run the floor and work within the offense. On Friday night, though, in a 115-105 win over the Indiana Pacers, Embiid was in a different spot.

He bounced around the Xfinity Mobile Arena floor. He was in a rhythm. He made the shots he missed Sunday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. Running the fastbreak himself was the surest sign of his former dominance seeping back to the surface.

“I figured I had to try it,” Embiid said. “Normally, I have been staying away from it. But, I felt really good tonight.”

Embiid knows he’s not the athletic specimen he once was, but he also knows he’s still capable of All-NBA-level play. Friday night was the first bit of proof the old Embiid can still make an appearance. The question he has to answer, and what the Sixers are hoping to find out, is how capable Embiid is of doing that consistently.

Think about it. He scored a season-high 39 points while grabbing nine rebounds. He handed out three assists while shooting 12 of 23 from the field. He got to the free-throw line 18 times, making 13 of them. He jammed all of that production into 31 minutes. The antics were back, too. He played to the crowd in the fourth quarter when he was fouled and knocked to the floor after a big rebound and a bucket. When he finally made a 3-pointer, he turned and threw his arms up, as if to say “finally.” The Philly faithful serenaded him with M-V-P chants almost every time he took a foul shot in the second half.

For one night, the old magic was back. The building was buzzing, and for perhaps the first time since the knee injury almost two years ago, Embiid looked like Embiid. It was the first time he scored at least 39 points since May 2024.

That’s over a year and a half ago.

JOEL EMBIID. pic.twitter.com/2eLAnwoPuc

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 13, 2025

“He’s worked at it,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said. “The practices this week have helped. His own individual work away from practice has helped. I think him being able to do all of that is a great sign that he’s starting to feel good. I have always said that he’s best when he’s driving. I think he drove a lot to draw fouls early. The best thing was his variety. The 39 points were great, but they came with him scoring through a lot of different schemes. He read the different stuff most of the night, pretty good.”

With the 76ers off for most of this week, Embiid pushed himself after Sunday night’s loss to the Lakers. He got on the floor throughout the week and went through practice. Then, he went through his own individual skill work, things like getting shots up and working on offensive situations in the post and on the perimeter. It wasn’t the work itself that encouraged him and the Sixers. It was the fact he could get on the floor and do the work.

What’s held Embiid back hasn’t been the on-court work or the games played. It’s been the way his knees have reacted. The Sixers’ having him take two days off between games has produced a healthier Embiid. He’s starting to get quicker. He’s making moves now that he wasn’t trying early in the season. He’s been more willing to throw his body around, play with force off the dribble and drive to the basket.

“I feel good,” Embiid said. “I’ve been able to be consistent, and that’s the big thing. I’ve been able to do the same thing over and over again this week and not have to take a break. I’ve talked about this before, but the plan of having me play a game and then having two days off seems to be working. So, I’ve been able to get on the court and do a lot of work.”

Friday night was important because star guard Tyrese Maxey came down with an illness and missed his first game of the season. That left Embiid, small forward Paul George and rookie VJ Edgecombe with the bulk of the offensive responsibility. All three responded. George scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds while handing out five assists. Edgecombe scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half. He handed out five assists and grabbed four rebounds.

Having Maxey means Embiid doesn’t have to go out and get 40 points or do something similar every night. But the Sixers are trying to find a way to blend the offensive production between the two so both stars can be on top of their games on the same night. They’re figuring that out while adding George to the mix.

The three have been available on the same night only twice this season and have lost both times to show for it. Getting them as many games together as possible is the key. The 76ers are 14-10 on the season and head into the weekend in the fifth spot of a wide-open Eastern Conference. The upside is there for the Sixers to make some noise.

They just have to — and stop us if you have heard this before — get healthy. Then, they have to stay healthy. In the past, that’s been a lot to ask.