Joel Embiid narrowly misses triple-double in Sixers’ blowout win over Nets; Nic Batum returns

NEW YORK — Danuel House Jr. could not handle the transition pass from Joel Embiid. But the 76ers’ wing did save the ball from going out of bounds, slapping it back to his MVP big man for the easy layup to continue their team’s dominant third quarter over the Brooklyn Nets.

The points likely were not Embiid’s preferred outcome. A House catch and finish would have helped Embiid reach 10 assists and a triple-double — in three quarters. Then, the score remained so lopsided that Embiid remained in the bench for the entire fourth quarter, instead of getting an opportunity to go for that final helper.

No matter, Embiid said. He settled for 32 points, 12 rebounds and a season-high nine assists in the Sixers’ 121-99 blowout win Sunday afternoon at Barclays Center.

“I got told [when] I was three assists away, but that’s not where my head was at,” Embiid said. “We were just trying to play the right [way]. [The Nets] just made it easy, honestly, because they just kept doubling. When I’m in that mode, if you want to double, we’ve got to make you pay.”

Embiid had already entered Sunday as the NBA’s second-leading scorer (31.9 points per game), after leading the league in that category in each of the previous two seasons. His assist mark eclipsed the eight he recorded in Friday’s win at Atlanta, and in an Oct. 28 victory at the Toronto Raptors.

Embiid went 11-of-24 from the floor and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. His 13 first-quarter points — including his bouncing bucket through contact for an old-fashioned three-point play to begin the game — anchored the Sixers (10-3) during a period when they shot 39.1% from the floor. He grabbed his 10th rebound in the third quarter. Then, he reached nine assists by finding Robert Covington for a layup in the frame’s final minute, which gave the Sixers their largest led of the game at 94-67.

Coach Nick Nurse said the Sixers have “learned a lot” about how opponents are defensively scheming against Embiid, leading to those playmaking opportunities.

“You’ve got to go quick,” Embiid said of his teammates. “I’ll find the open man, because someone is always going to be open if they double. That’s been the mindset all year, really: You double, I’ve got to make the right play to make them pay.”

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid is fulfilling his preseason vow to facilitate more for Sixers

Embiid has five career triple-doubles, the most recent coming on Dec. 31, 2022 at the Oklahoma City Thunder.

After shooting under 40% for much of Sunday’s first half, the Sixers initially created separation with a 17-4 run to end the second quarter to lead, 61-49. That surge was bookended by three-pointers from De’Anthony Melton and Tyrese Maxey, and included a thunderous Melton fastbreak dunk off a bounce pass from Embiid and a Maxey finish through contact. That advantage continued to balloon to 27 points in the third quarter, when the Sixers outscored the Nets, 33-22.

“We were taking, I thought, some forced shot against multiple defenders [early],” Nurse said. “We were doing a good job of getting it in the paint. They were doing a good job of sending help. And then when we finally slammed on the brakes and started kicking it out to the relocated three-point shooters, we were making the right play. We went through a stretch where we weren’t making the right play.”

Maxey started 2-of-8 from the floor but then amassed his own double-double, finishing with 25 points on 6-of-11 from three-point range and 10 assists. Melton, who has had a strong week since beginning the season in a shooting slump, made eight of his 10 shots from the floor for 21 points and added five rebounds.

Nets star and former Villanova standout Mikal Bridges finished with 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting and three assists.

The Sixers next host the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday in their final In-Season Tournament Group Play game.

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After missing the previous three games for to handle what he described as a health situation with his wife, Nicolas Batum was back in the Sixers’ starting lineup. He finished with three points, three rebounds, and three assists, but boasted a plus/minus of plus-25. Nurse praised his “glue-guy” qualities as a passer and versatile defender, spending the bulk of the game guarding Bridges and sharpshooter Cameron Johnson.

Batum acknowledged the first five minutes felt “really weird.” After that, he said, he “just didn’t try to do too much. Just tried to be in the flow of the game, the rhythm of the game, playing a good team. Do the simple stuff offense and defense.”

It was the second time Batum needed to step away from the Sixers, after missing his first two games with the team following the blockbuster James Harden trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. But Batum said he hopes he is “back for good.” While Batum was away, Nurse said he “didn’t really talk all that much about the basketball” while checking in, but worked to get him up to speed on new schematic elements or tweaks during a pregame walk-through at the team hotel.

» READ MORE: The Sixers became a better team without James Harden. And they did it together.

“I can’t really say what it is, but I had to be there,” Batum said about his absence. “ … Sometimes you have to do what you’ve got to do for your family. She’ll be OK now.”

Batum’s return also re-juggled the Sixers’ wing rotation.

Covington (four points, two rebounds), who had started in Batum’s place, was the first sub about midway through the first and third quarters. House (three points, three rebounds, three assists) and Springer (10 points, five rebounds), two standouts of Friday’s win in Atlanta, were next. And Marcus Morris Sr. (three points) got six second-quarter minutes.

Notable: Reviled former Sixer Ben Simmons did not play in Sunday’s game while sidelined with a back injury.