The 76ers, refreshed by the NBA All-Star break, had some bounce when they initially trotted on the Wells Fargo Center floor Thursday night a like a rested Border Collie. They had a week off to heal up and brace for the 28-game sprint to the end of the regular season.

Joel Embiid finished the loss with 15 points, three rebounds and four assists while shooting 3/9 from the field and 0/2 from the three-point range in 27 minutes of playing time. After the game, the 2023 MVP was honest when he met with the media (h/t Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports).