The Philadelphia 76ers are looking like a genuinely enormous team at the start of the 2026-27 NBA season. We’re not breaking any news here. They have four All-Stars, two league MVPs, two Finals MVPs… The ceiling, as LeBron James predicted and a sublime Joel Embiid has underlined tonight, can only be becoming champions.
That’s how it needs to be said, and even more so when you see how the centre is carrying himself. While many doubted he could return to his best, in the early hours of this morning he opened the floodgates with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, the tenth triple-double of his career in a 127-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
The King was not out with back trouble, but the Pennsylvania side depends on absolutely nobody, least of all when we’re looking at an Embiid whose numbers recall the best period of his career.
Obviously there’s no need to start ringing the bells just yet, since doubts over the Cameroonian’s physical condition will last the whole season (playoffs included), but at this level the Sixers are, nonetheless, a more than fearsome team. Here’s his performance.
The reality is that, offensively, it’s hard to think of a more lethal side. In LeBron’s absence we’ve seen 27 points from Jaylen Brown, 26 from Tyrese Maxey and 17 from VJ Edgecombe. Yes, they are a team that can kill you in many ways, and throwing double teams at them is signing your own death warrant.
Comfortable win over the Bucks
That’s right. The opponent did not invite suffering and although the first half was level – Philadelphia led by four at the break – after returning from the dressing room they hit the accelerator to see out the final quarter with a 10-point cushion and move to 3-0 on the season.
If the 76ers are heads, the Bucks are tails. Jaime Jaquez Jr. was the top scorer for his side with 21 points, and Kel’el Ware added a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds off the bench. It wasn’t enough to have a chance of victory in the closing stages. 0-3 for the Wisconsin side.
(Photo by IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)