Joel Embiid gave everyone a surprise in the 76ers’ preseason game against the Boston Celtics, and he was apparently just as shocked as the rest of the arena.
The play came in transition. LeBron James delivered the pass, Embiid sold a dribble hand-off, then exploded to the rim and finished with a dunk over a Celtics defender. For a player who has spent much of his career protecting his body, it was the kind of moment that stood out immediately.
After the game, Embiid admitted he did not exactly see that one coming.
"I saw how awkward I landed. I guess it's good to dunk.
I thought I would never dunk again. Yeah, I don't know what happened.
I kind of got possessed. I changed my mind when I saw he was going to block it," Embiid said after the 76ers' game against the Celtics.
Embiid has been the centerpiece of Philadelphia for years, and his resume speaks for itself, including his 2023 MVP award. At his best, he remains one of the league’s toughest covers, even if injuries and wear have changed the way he plays from possession to possession.
Still, the dunk offered a different look. It suggested he may be feeling better heading into the 2026-27 season, and it came after a stretch in which he has rarely gone above the rim. That has mostly been a matter of preservation, not ability.
With James and Jaylen Brown on the roster, the pressure around the 76ers is higher than ever. If Embiid can deliver that kind of aggression along with his usual production, Philadelphia has a real chance to lean on him in a big way. And if the dunks keep coming, that only adds another layer to an already dangerous game.
In Other News...
Sixers Just Addressed A Frontcourt Concern With Opening Night Near
With opening night drawing closer, the 76ers made a quiet but practical move to shore up their frontcourt depth by converting Tacko Falls Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way deal. The 7-foot-6 center gives Philadelphia another big body to work with as the roster takes shape, and the move fills the teams open two-way slot while keeping a player with previous NBA experience in the mix.
Fall has not been able to get on the floor in the preseason because of a strained hip, but his presence has still been viewed as a positive inside the locker room. Under the new deal, he can be active for up to 50 regular-season games and will earn a salary of $678,882, leaving the Sixers with one less open question as they finalize the edges of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Preseason Finale May Have Clarified Two Key Opening Night Roles
Joel Embiids final tune-up before the regular season looked a lot more like the version the Sixers need. In Philadelphias 125-120 overtime loss to Boston to close the preseason, Embiid finished with 27 points and chipped in across the board, giving the team a much cleaner glimpse of how the offense can function when he is moving with rhythm and purpose. The Sixers wrapped exhibition play at 1-3, but the bigger takeaway may have been how the rotation started to take shape around him.
One of the steadier constants was LeBron James, who led the team in assists in both preseason games, a sign the Sixers may have found a reliable connector for the regular season. Jabari Walker also helped his case with a strong showing in the finale, and his play looked good enough to lock in a spot in the opening rotation. Between Embiids sharper finish and Walkers push, the preseason finale may have answered a couple of the most important early questions for Philadelphia, even if the broader picture is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Turn To Tacko Fall As Center Depth Becomes A Real Concern
With the Sixers already dealing with a thin frontcourt, they are turning to Tacko Fall on a two-way contract as a way to add another true big man to the mix. Fall was unable to take part in the preseason because of a hip injury, but Philadelphias need at center has only grown with the injuries piling up around the position.
Fall brings NBA experience from his time with the Celtics and Cavaliers, along with work in the G League and Summer League, giving the Sixers another familiar center option to evaluate. For a team trying to patch together its depth chart, the move gives them a look at a player whose size alone changes the conversation, even if the bigger question is how soon he can actually get on the floor. [Read more 🡒]