76ers Shake Up Starting Five, Find New Gear in Overtime Win Over Rockets
PHILADELPHIA - Sometimes, a subtle lineup tweak can unlock something special. That’s exactly what happened Thursday night when the Philadelphia 76ers rolled out a new starting five that hadn’t seen more than a handful of possessions together all season - and came away with a 128-122 overtime win over the Houston Rockets.
Gone was Dominick Barlow, the steady frontcourt presence who had started 29 of his 32 appearances this season. In his place?
Kelly Oubre Jr., who joined Paul George and Joel Embiid in the frontcourt, with Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe in the backcourt. It was a bold move by head coach Nick Nurse, and it paid off.
“I think that’s certainly a pretty potent offensive group, right?” Nurse said postgame.
“Kelly kind of fits in with the shooting of PG and Tyrese. VJ’s the hybrid - he’ll cut and shoot - but Kelly’s a really good cutter, especially with Joel.
If KO and PG are giving effort on defense, and VJ and Tyrese always bring that on that end, now we’ve got a group playing at both ends.”
And it showed.
Oubre was electric. He dropped 24 points on a hyper-efficient 10-for-14 shooting night, including 4-of-5 from deep.
But it wasn’t just the scoring - it was how he got his buckets. Smart cuts, timely relocations, and a constant awareness of where to be in relation to Embiid’s gravity in the post.
He made defenders pay for helping off him, and he brought the kind of defensive energy that can shift momentum.
That kind of two-way impact is exactly what the Sixers needed - and exactly why the change made sense.
Barlow’s been solid, no question. But Oubre adds a layer of spacing and movement that opens things up for the stars. He forces defenders to stay honest on the perimeter, and that gives Maxey and Embiid more room to operate - which is always a good thing.
“If they try to pack the paint and load up on Joel and myself, we kick it out to the shooters,” Maxey explained. “We want everybody - one through however many players we have - if you’re open from 3, shoot it. You gotta take those 3s and make those 3s.”
That kind of confidence and freedom is what makes this offense hum. And Oubre fits right into that mindset.
Paul George, who’s had a front-row seat to Oubre’s evolution this season, was glad to see his running mate back in the first unit.
“Continuity,” George said. “It was great to finally get back out there with KO.
DB’s been phenomenal for us, but KO - that’s my guy. It just felt like this group had been out there together for a while.”
Continuity, chemistry, and trust - those were all on display in this one. And while the Sixers still run their offense through Maxey and Embiid - as they should - having a player like Oubre who can thrive without needing the ball in his hands is a luxury.
“It doesn’t change anything,” Embiid said of the new starting five. “Tyrese is gonna get the ball.
He’s gonna get a lot of shots. I’m gonna get the ball.
We just gotta make sure we’ve got the right spacing. Kelly was great.
That’s the second game I feel like he’s back to where he was to start the season. When you add an offensive player like that and don’t give up anything defensively, that’s gonna take you places.”
It’s not about replacing anyone - it’s about finding the right combinations. And right now, Oubre looks like a piece that fits perfectly with what the Sixers are trying to build.
Philadelphia wraps up its six-game homestand Saturday afternoon against the New York Knicks. With this new-look lineup clicking, don’t be surprised if we see more of the same - and maybe even a few more wrinkles from Coach Nurse.