Sixers bounce back after an ugly first half to beat the Timberwolves 115-103

The Sixers were a mess for two quarters on Friday night and it did not matter. They flipped a switch in the second half, blew the Timberwolves out, and walked away with a 115-103 win to stay in the sixth seed with five games left. Toronto won and pulled even at 43-34 but the Sixers still own the tiebreaker. Nothing changed. Good.

Embiid came back from illness and looked like it. One for ten from the floor in the first half. A blocked three. A lazy turnover on an outlet pass. Meanwhile Bones Hyland was the best player in the building through two quarters, hitting three straight long-range jumpers to help Minnesota build a nine-point lead.

The Timberwolves shot 4-for-26 from the field and still led at halftime. That is how bad the Sixers were offensively before the break.

Then the second half happened. Embiid hit his first shot and the whole game shifted. Edwards missed a wide-open dunk, Edgecombe came down the other end and threw it down on the break, and the Sixers never trailed again.

Nurse then went to an Embiid-Drummond frontcourt pairing late in the third that worked immediately. The Sixers went on a run to push it to 83-71 and George buried two threes early in the fourth to make it 99-82. Oubre hit a pair of threes late. Done.

Kelly Oubre delivers for the Sixers in the second half

.@KELLYOUBREJR came through in the clutch! 😤

21 PTS | 5 REB | 8-12 FG@PALottery pic.twitter.com/H4qQEZwgzO

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 4, 2026

Paul George had 23 and got to the line ten times. Maxey and Oubre each had 21. Embiid finished with 19, 13, and 7 despite looking half-dead for the entire first half. Barlow was excellent, three offensive boards, four defensive, and locked up Randle.

Drummond-Embiid minutes are going in the postseason playbook. Nurse confirmed as much pregame when he said he had rotation ideas to explore. Consider that one explored.

Five games left. Sixth seed. Pistons tonight.

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