Joel Embiid scores 36 points in three quarters, Sixers pull away from Magic for fourth straight win

ORLANDO — Joel Embiid stopped on a dime while dribbling to his left, then maneuvered his 7-foot-2 frame the opposite way past Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze. Embiid scooped the ball so it bounced off the backboard and into his leaping grasp for a slam that stunned the home crowd and brought his teammates on the bench to their feet.

That second-quarter finish was the most dazzling play of another sensational night for the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, as Embiid totaled 36 points and seven rebounds in just three quarters of action in the 76ers’ 124-109 win over the upstart Magic Friday night at the Kia Center.

Embiid not only extended his franchise-best streak of 30-point performances to 19 games, he nearly reached that mark by halftime. Embiid made 10 of his 14 first-half shots (and all seven free-throw attempts) to amass 28 points and put the Sixers (27-13) on track for what became their fourth consecutive victory.

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His highlight flush helped create the initial scoring distance between the Magic (22-20) and Sixers, who twice built a 10-point lead late in the second quarter, including on an Embiid 18-foot jumper. Their advantage stretched to 73-60 when Tyrese Maxey began the third with a driving finish and a three-pointer.

The Sixers center got to 30 points on a more conventional back-down of Bitadze — complete with a high-arching hook shot — later in that frame.

Then, the Sixers center got around the opposing big man again for a rim-rocking two-handed dunk. Embiid’s final points came from the free-throw line, completing an 11-for-11 outing to complement his 12-of-22 mark from the floor.

Embiid’s teammates did their part during his rest period to begin the final quarter, pushing their lead to 105-83 when Kelly Oubre Jr. buried a three-pointer with less than eight minutes remaining. Embiid stoically observed that last burst from the end of the Sixers’ bench, then grinned while chatting with assistant coaches during a timeout at the 5:05 mark and his team leading, 107-88.

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Maxey added 32 points and five assists, overcoming a first half in which he shot 5-of-13 from the floor. Oubre scored 15 points on an efficient 5-of-8 from the floor. The Sixers prevailed on a night when they were outscored 69-26 in bench points (including 25 points and 11 rebounds from Wendell Carter Jr.).

Late in the game, Sixers guard Ricky Council IV scored his first NBA point from the free-throw line, and guard Terquavion Smith, in his NBA debut, hit a pair of three-pointers

The Sixers play the second night of a back-to-back Saturday in Charlotte to officially hit the regular season’s midway point, before hosting the San Antonio Spurs — and rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama — Monday at the Wells Fargo Center.

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