The Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the NBA's worst teams for over four years now, reaching near-laughable lows at moments throughout that time. But Friday night Joel Embiid helped wash some of that pain away.
The de facto rookie center scored 25 points — a career-high — with seven rebounds to lead the 76ers to a 109-105 overtime win against the Indiana Pacers, ending a 44-game losing streak in the months of October and November.
76ers fans hoped first-overall pick Ben Simmons would lead this team out of the cellar this season. Unfortunately, he has yet to make his NBA debut due to injury, but Embiid has been a pleasant surprise while picking up the slack.
MORE: The eight players with the most to prove in 2016-17
On the other side, the Pacers (4-5) really have no excuse for losing games like this. The organization made big offseason moves by acquiring point guard Jeff Teague and power forward Thaddeus Young; however, they now have a losing record, and really haven't looked cohesive as a unit.
Paul George led the Pacers with 26 points and nine rebounds. He has been the lone bright spot on this otherwise disappointing squad.
Studs of the night
DeMar DeRozan continued his unmatched scoring this season by dropping 34 points on the Charlotte Hornets in a 113-111 win. DeRozan is now averaging 34.1 points per game, which is the most through a player's first eight games since Michael Jordan in the 1989-90 season.
Kemba Walker poured in 40 points with 10 rebounds and six assists in the loss. He is the third player with 40 points and 10 rebounds in a game this season, joining Anthony Davis (twice) and Russell Westbrook.
MORE: Where does DeRozan rank among the NBA's elite SGs?
Dud of the night
Detroit Pistons small forward Marcus Morris turned in easily his worst game of the season in a 96-86 loss against the San Antonio Spurs. The crafty winger scored just four points on 2 of 11 shooting, while missing all three of his three-point attempts.
Highlight
Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas finds a passing lane through traffic:
Our guess is as good as yours how Isaiah got this pass through! #NBAVine #Celtics https://t.co/ZDi3s4voWB
— NBA (@NBA) November 12, 2016
Thomas finished Boston's 115-87 win against the New York Knicks with 29 points and four assists.
MORE: NBA scoreboard — stats, highlights, info
What's next
Spurs (6-3) at Rockets (5-3) 8 p.m. ET — Gregg Popovich will try to use some of his anger from the presidential nomination to pound San Antonio's in-state rivals. James Harden, who is on pace for a career year, won't make it easy on him.