PHILADELPHIA _ The pregame news on Ben Simmons, while incomplete, didn't sound great. But once the 76ers took the court they played inspired basketball _ for about the first two and a half quarters.
Without Simmons, who is out with a lower-back injury and wasn't with the team while receiving further treatment and evaluation, the Sixers rumbled them stumbled before finally finding their footing for a 129-112 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
The Sixers are 27-2 at home.
They can thank Joel Embiid for this latest victory. He scored a career-high 49 points and was serenaded by "MVP" chants late in the game.
He shot 17-for-24 from the field, 1-for-3 from three-point range and 14-for-15 from the foul line.
The Sixers jumped to a 21-point lead late in the first quarter, but it evaporated when second-year All-Star Trae Young hit a leaning 26-foot three-pointer at buzzer to give the Hawks a 92-91 lead after three quarters.
Game on.
The Sixers then flexed their muscles in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Hawks, 38-20.
Leading 105-100, the Sixers (36-22) went on a 10-2 run, culminating with an Al Horford layup with 4 minutes, 10 seconds left to finally put the Hawks away.
It was only the 17-42 Hawks. but Atlanta had been 9-9 in its previous 18 games and has been showing a pulse.
Atlanta has some exciting young players, but few of them are on the defensive end. The Hawks entered the game allowing 118.8 points, which was 29th in the 30-team NBA.
The Sixers took advantage of the Hawks' generosity.
As for replacing Simmons for no matter how long he is out, coach Brett Brown suggested before the game that it would be by committee.
Shake Milton started at the point, and when he was out Josh Richardson moved over from shooting guard to run the offense.
Joining Embiid in the starting frontcourt were Tobias Harris and Horford.
In the previous three games, Horford had come off the bench.
Harris suffered a right knee bruise during the 119-98 loss in Milwaukee on Saturday. The injury was so painful that Harris was listed Sunday as doubtful. That changed to questionable Monday afternoon then definite by the tipoff.
Harris had said that he wouldn't go out there if he didn't feel he could help the team, and that is indeed what he did, scoring 25 points.
The other problem entering the game was what to do with Young, who entered the game averaging an even 30 points.
Richardson started on him, but MIlton and Matisse Thubuille took turns trying to wear the 6-foot-1 dynamo down.
Young scored a quiet 28 points and the Sixers continued their dominance at home.
