Joel Embiid went for 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and Philadelphia beat Milwaukee 127-116 with LeBron James out. The result holds the third seed, and the Pistons come next.
Is Embiid's triple-double the answer to the health question?
It is the best answer he could give on a Saturday. Embiid's 28, 11 and 10 came on a night when he was not even on the injury report, according to the Inquirer's Gina Mizell. Grade: A. One game does not settle it, though. He played 38 games last season, and the number that matters is how many he plays in April.
Did losing LeBron James hurt?
Not on this night. The Inquirer reported that James sat to manage lower back and sciatica trouble, and the team still won by 11. He played 60 games last season at 20.9 points a night, so a short bench of absences is plausible. The Sixer Sense wrote that the club may be preparing fans for more of them. That is their read, not a team announcement.
Was 127-116 as comfortable as it looks?
Mostly, with a caveat. Milwaukee was on the second night of a back-to-back, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. still scored 21 with eight rebounds. Philadelphia gave up 116 in a game it controlled. Last season this club ranked 16th on defense at 114.4 points allowed per 100 possessions. A win is a win, but that number needs to drop.
What does the win change in the East?
It keeps the Sixers third at 2-0, level with sixth-place Washington and 1.5 games clear of 11th. That is a cushion of exactly one result, so nobody should frame this as a standings story yet. The schedule makes it real: Detroit, then Indiana on October 28, then the Knicks on October 30. That stretch tells us far more than this one.
What should we watch against Detroit?
Detroit is 2-0 after a 60-22 season, and Cade Cunningham averaged 23.9 points and 9.9 assists last season. Jalen Duren is out with a hamstring injury and Ausar Thompson is day-to-day with an ankle problem. If Thompson sits too, Philadelphia gets its softest matchup of the week. Dean Wade and VJ Edgecombe were cleared, so the rotation is closer to whole.
Did the 76ers beat the Bucks?
Yes, 127-116. Joel Embiid led Philadelphia with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Did LeBron James play against the Bucks?
No. The Inquirer reported he sat out to manage lower back and sciatica trouble.
