Key numbers in the recent resurgence of the Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have responded to a five-game losing streak by compiling some of their best basketball of the season.

Having lost five consecutive games, and nine of their past 10, the Philadelphia 76ers were a team desperately in need of a change of fortunes.

So entering their marquee Christmas Day contest in Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks, the Sixers knew fully well that they needed to turn their season around in a hurry. Having jumped out the blocks with a 13-9 record, the Sixers were suddenly 14-18, and on the outside looking in as it pertains to an elusive playoff berth.

But fast forward the clocks, and the Sixers now find themselves with a 19-19 record, having won five of their past six games, including the last four in a row.

From an overall standpoint, here are the standout numbers that point out just how much the Sixers have turned things around over the past few games:

Offensive Rating (points per 100 possessions)

• Dec. 4 – Dec 23 (1-9 record): 101.4 (25th)
• Dec. 25 – Jan. 5 (5-1 record): 111.6 (9th)

Defensive Rating (points allowed per 100 possessions)

• Dec. 4 – Dec 23 (1-9 record):105.7 (16th)
• Dec. 25 – Jan. 5 (5-1 record): 99.6 (2nd)

While he is not the sole reason for their turnaround, the regular presence of Joel Embiid has made an enormous difference on both the performance and the psyche of the Sixers’ roster.

Embiid missed five of the 10 games during which the Sixers posted just one win, which included missing the immediate three games following the Sixers’ heartbreaking triple-overtime home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in which he played 49 minutes.

Over the course of the season, the Sixers have been 16.9 points per 100 possessions better off with Embiid on the floor. His importance has never been more evident than during the past six-game stretch, where the Sixers were 38.5 points per 100 possessions better off during the five games Embiid was on the court. Furthermore, Embiid was an absurd +99 while on the floor over these five games.

The Sixers’ resurgence was typified in their most recent performance, a 114-78 demolition of the Detroit Pistons. Leading 62-32 at the main break, the Sixers led by as many as 40 points before finishing with an emphatic win. Possibly the most impressive aspect of the game was the fact that none of the Sixers’ starters were required to play more than 25 minutes, with their starting five producing an extraordinary net rating of +61.3.

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In addition to Embiid, a couple of other exceptional contributors were J.J. Redick and Dario Saric. The ageless Redick has simply gotten better as the season has progressed, posting 20.7 points per game over the past six games, all while registering the impressive shooting splits of .494/.463/.931.

Meanwhile, Saric continued to improve in his second season in the league, averaging 18.0 points and 6.3 rebounds over these six games, while posting equally impressive shooting splits of .487/.500/.947.

Furthermore, the Pistons’ contest saw a return to supreme form of rookie Ben Simmons. Following somewhat of a downturn in his overall on court production, Simmons backed up his 26-point performance against the San Antonio Spurs by exploding out of the blocks with 11 points and three assists in the first period on his way to posting 19 points, nine assists, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

As head coach Brett Brown noted following the game:

"“Ben starting the game out the way he started the game out, he made as dominant a statement as I’ve seen him start an NBA game.”"

Impressively, Simmons’ performance represented the first time that a rookie had recorded at least 19 points, nine assists and two blocks in 23 minutes or less. The next closest to record this was Simmons himself, when he recorded a triple-double earlier this season in a loss to the Chicago Bulls in 35 minutes of action.

Next: 2017-18 Week 12 NBA Power Rankings

Due to their upcoming contest against the Boston Celtics in London, the Sixers now have several days off until their game on Jan. 11. With a full bill of health, and the confidence gained over the past few weeks, the Sixers will be looking attack the Celtics game and beyond with renewed vigor and optimism.