76ers News: Kevin Durant Reacts to Joel Embiid's Performance vs. Rockets

After missing the last three games with a knee injury, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid made his return to the lineup on Monday. The reigning MVP had such a dominant start against the Houston Rockets that a fellow superstar gave him a shout out on social media.

It took little time for Embiid to find his rhythm after being out of action for a little over a week. He got his first couple shots to fall and never looked back. Early in the third quarter, he broke the 30-point mark, extending his streak to 17-straight games.

As Embiid continued to go to work on the Rockets, Kevin Durant shared his thoughts on the Sixers star's scoring. He finds it comical that the All-Star center only needed three quarters of work to notch such a high scoring total.

All joel need is 3 quarters. Thats funny
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) January 15, 2024

Embiid continues to put his name alongside all-time greats with this scoring streak. Ironically enough, the last player to score 30+ points in at least 17-straight games is a former teammate of his. James Harden managed to do it in 32 consecutive matchups during the 2018-19 season.

Longest streaks of 30+ points, per @EliasSports:

Chamberlain 65 (11/4/61-2/22/62)
Harden 32 (12/13/18-02/21/19)
Chamberlain 31 (2/25/62-12/8/62)
Chamberlain 25 (11/11/60-12/27/60)
Chamberlain 20 (1/30/64-3/1/64)
E. Baylor 18 (12/20/61-10/22/62)@JoelEmbiid 17 (11/17/23-Present)
— Sixers Stats (@SixersStats) January 15, 2024

Embiid went on to finish the game with 41 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists in his return. He shot 12-for-21 from the field, including a stellar 16-for-17 from the free-throw line.

Led by this dominant performance from Embiid, the Sixers were able to pick up their second-straight victory. They walked away with a 124-115 win in the afternoon matchup with the Rockets.

Following this game, Embiid and the Sixers have a quick turnaround. They will back back in action again on Tuesday night, taking on Nikola Jokic and the reigning champion Denver Nuggets.