Houston Rockets Star Has High Praise for 76ers’ Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid received praise from his opponent on Monday.

The Houston Rockets weren’t sure if they would face Joel Embiid on Monday afternoon when they paid a visit to the Philadelphia 76ers for the first time this season.

During Houston’s first outing against the Sixers, Embiid was in the midst of a multi-game absence and didn’t make his return to the court until after the Rockets and the Sixers battled it out. At the time, Embiid was dealing with a sprained ankle.

While he recovered from an ankle sprain in the new year, Embiid lasted just two games before going back on the injury report and missing a handful of games. Prior to Monday’s matchup versus Houston, Embiid was on a three-game absence.

Fortunately for Philadelphia, the big man saw an upgrade in his status before the game. After being considered a questionable game-time decision, the Sixers cleared Embiid for action against Houston. To no surprise, his presence was a major boost for Philadelphia.

Praise From Houston

Rockets center Alperen Sengun is a rising star in the NBA. Playing for a rebuilding Rockets franchise to start his career, the former 16th overall pick has garnered plenty of playing time over the years.

At this point, Sengun is developing into one of the league’s young star talents at the age of 21. While he couldn’t do much on the defensive end to slow down Embiid on Monday — and couldn’t exactly counter the MVP’s punch on the other end of the floor with his offensive production — Sengun couldn’t help but issue Embiid his credit after a standout performance.

“He’s kind of like the best offensive player,” Sengun told reporters on Monday. “[The] best offensive player in the league right now. He shoots the mid-range, he’s a physical player. He takes fouls. Just difficult, he can make mid-range shots.”

Embiid’s been a three-level threat for years, and his shooting has only improved. After the big man averaged a career-high 55 percent from the field last season, he’s right on par with his MVP efficiency, as he’s knocked down 54 percent of his shots through 28 games this year.

While knocking off some rust on Monday, Embiid didn’t have too tough of a time getting into a groove. Hitting on 57 percent of his shots from the field, the Sixers’ big man produced 41 points. He turned it into a double-double performance, as he collected ten rebounds.

The Sixers put Sengun and the Rockets away with a 124-115 win.