KD Drops 29 and Hits Dagger 3 as Rockets Win 8th Straight — Embiid Had Surgery Hours Before Tipoff

Kevin Durant scored a game-high 29 points and drilled a critical late 3-pointer as the Houston Rockets held off the Philadelphia 76ers 113-102 on Thursday night for their eighth consecutive victory.

The story of the night, though, was Joel Embiid. The Sixers big man underwent emergency appendicitis surgery in Houston just hours before tipoff — he reportedly called the team at 3 a.m. With Embiid out, Philly still managed to claw back from a 28-point third-quarter deficit to cut it to 107-102 with 1:36 left. VJ Edgecombe (21 points, 8 assists) and Tyrese Maxey (23 points) led the charge.

But Durant buried a 3 on the very next possession to slam the door. Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson each chipped in 19 points. Houston improves to 51-29 and is fighting with the Lakers for the 4th seed in the West. As for Embiid, appendectomy recovery is typically 3-6 weeks — meaning Philly's already shaky playoff hopes just took another brutal hit.