The Sixers got back on track at the Wells Fargo Center with a 120-116 down-to-the-wire win Friday over the Nets. They had to climb out of a 13-point deficit and play disciplined down the stretch to overcome the Nets, who have proved pesky this season.
The Sixers moved up to 38-30 with the victory while the Nets fell to 22-48.
• Fans sang "Happy Birthday" to Joel Embiid while he shot free throws and then got creative with a new chant: "E-M-B-I-I-D Embiid" to the tune of "E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles." Embiid posted 24 points, a career-high 19 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in spite of shooting 6 for 23 from the field. He was a perfect 11 of 11 from the free throw line.
• A timeline for determining Markelle Fultz's availability still has not been set, Brett Brown said pregame.
"I think at some point soon a decision is going to have to be made so that we can progress forward," Brown said. "But sincerely, there is nothing going on right now that you all don't know that I know."
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When asked if he thinks Fultz will play this season, Brown replied, "I truly don't know."
• Former Sixers Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas returned to the Wells Fargo Center for the first time since being traded to the Nets in December. Okafor was greeted with some boos when he checked in, and the jeers got louder when he touched the ball. Okafor scored 10 points with three boards in 13 minutes.
Okafor said it was "weird" being in the visitors' locker room and spending the night in a hotel. He actually got lost finding his way through a different arena entrance.
"Being here where my NBA career basically started, it feels good to be back and see some familiar faces," he said before the game.
• Justin Anderson (11 points) got playing time after falling out of the rotation as of late. He dropped nine points in the first quarter off a trio of threes. More importantly, Anderson played tough defense with Embiid on Spencer Dinwiddie with 21 seconds left in regulation to maintain the Sixers' lead.
• Ben Simmons neared another triple-double (21 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds), which is becoming a common occurrence. Dario Saric (nine points) failed to score in double digits for only the second time since the beginning of December.
• D'Angelo Russell, who averaged 24 points in the first two games against the Sixers, scored only eight points (3 for 14 from the field). The Nets were led by 21 points and 10 rebounds from Chester, Pa., native Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
• Hall of Famer Allen Iverson stood courtside to watch the game go down to the wire. Check out the whole video to see how he addressed the crowd.
Allen Iverson is in the building: pic.twitter.com/b78QdhZySD— Jessica Camerato (@JCameratoNBCS) March 17, 2018
• Eagles vice president of football operations Howie Roseman was also in attendance.
.@Eagles Howie Roseman in the building! #BrotherlyLove pic.twitter.com/xFYcmTB8dS— x - Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 17, 2018
