The "Return of the Mack" Edition
The "Return of the Mack" Edition: Embiid remembers he’s huge, Curry hits from the parking lot, and the Warriors forget how to defend.
If you had "Joel Embiid goes coast-to-coast like a runaway freight train" on your 2025 Bingo card, congratulations, you are a liar. Nobody saw that coming.
Friday night in the NBA was the "Night of the Return," featuring two superstars reminding us why they get paid the GDP of a small island nation to throw a ball through a hoop. One celebrated with a win; the other celebrated by watching his defense disintegrate.
Let’s break down the madness.
The Process 2.0: Now with working knees!
For the last two years, watching Joel Embiid run has been a bit like watching a dad try to jog after a heavy Thanksgiving dinner—careful, hesitant, and slightly pained.
But on Friday against the Pacers? We got the vintage model.
Embiid dropped 39 points, grabbed nine boards, and—in a move that surely made the Sixers’ medical staff hyperventilate—grabbed a rebound and took it the length of the floor himself. He was bouncing around like he had discovered the Fountain of Youth (or at least an excellent ice pack).
With Tyrese Maxey out sick, Embiid had help from Paul George (23 points) and rookie sensation VJ Edgecombe, who apparently didn't get the memo that he's a rookie (22 points).
The Sixers won 115–105. The M-V-P chants are back. The "Embiid falling down every 30 seconds to get 18 free throws" strategy is back. Nature is healing.
The Steph Curry Magic Show (And the Warriors Horror Show)
Over in the Bay Area, Steph Curry decided that warmups are boring. So, he stood at the end of the tunnel—100 feet away from the basket—and launched a ball that hung in the air long enough to file a tax return.
Swish.
He then proceeded to drop 39 points in his first game back from injury. He looked 25 years old. He was cooking.
And the Warriors lost. Because of course they did.
Despite Curry’s heroics, Golden State fell 127–120 to a Minnesota Timberwolves team without Anthony Edwards. The Warriors have developed a bizarre habit of losing to teams missing their best player. It’s like they see an injury report and think, "Oh, their best guy is out? Let’s take the night off."
Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert turned the paint into an all-you-can-eat buffet, combining for 51 points. Meanwhile, Draymond Green was out, and the Warriors' defense looked like a suggestion rather than a requirement.
The Sanchez Verdict
Friday taught us two things:
Joel Embiid is terrifying when he trusts his knees.
Steph Curry can shoot from a different zip code, but he can't guard five people at once.
The Sixers are looking dangerous. The Warriors are looking... well, they're looking at a .500 record and praying Curry doesn't get tired.
I’m going to go ice my knees just from watching Embiid run.
Sanchez out.
