76ers’ Joel Embiid has perfect reaction to first dunk of season

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76ers’ Joel Embiid has perfect reaction to first dunk of season

Muhammad Arslan, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sun, Jan 4, 2026 ·

3 min read

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Joel Embiid finally threw down his first dunk of the 2025-26 NBA season during the Philadelphia 76ers ' 130-119 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

Embiid's dunk came late in the game. It led to a playful celebration from the 31-year-old. With the outcome already decided, Embiid leaked out in transition, caught a pass under the basket, and finished an uncontested dunk for the final points of the night. He followed it with an over-the-top celebration, throwing his arms in the air. The clip quickly went viral online .

After the game, Embiid brushed it off with a smile , per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

"It was whatever," said Embiid. "It was an easy one. I wish it would have been one off the backboard. … That's the next step."

Before the game, Embiid's status to play was uncertain due to an injury . Rookie VJ Edgecombe , who also scored 26 points, joked about Embiid's dunk.

"Actually got up a little bit," Edgecombe said of Embiid on the dunk.

Tyrese Maxey , who led all scorers with 36 points, took playful responsibility for setting the stage.

"I was so happy," said Maxey after the game. "So now it's my fault because the play before, I dropped him off a pass thinking he wasn't going to dunk it. Now he's telling me to throw him a lob. So I'm going to throw him a lob, and we're going to see how that goes."

76ers head coach Nick Nurse laughed about the moment, calling it an easy one, but added that it was still good to see Embiid check that box.

"You saw he wanted to get one," Nurse said, then added with a laugh, "It was a pretty cheap way of getting it, I think. But at least we know he can still dunk, and he can check that off his list."

Beyond the dunk, Embiid delivered a strong all-around performance. He finished with 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting, 10 rebounds, and five assists. This was his first game at Madison Square Garden since Game 5 of the 2024 playoffs.

Maxey's scoring burst powered the Sixers to the win and pushed them to 19-14 on the season. The victory pushed Philadelphia to five games over .500 for the first time this season. The win has them in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks, now 23-12, dropped their third straight game while playing the second night of a back-to-back.

Philadelphia wrapped up its road trip with signs of improved chemistry throughout the roster. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford are expected back soon. The Sixers appear poised to keep building momentum against a banged-up Denver Nuggets team on Monday.

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