The Philadelphia 76ers earned their ninth win of the season on Friday night by defeating the weakened Charlotte Hornets 108-98 in South Philadelphia.

Joel Embiid led the way with 34 points and Tyrese Maxey followed him with 23. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 22 points against his former team. Even if the Sixers allow this to be a much tougher contest than it should have been, a win is a win, play the song.

If you are looking for a complete game summary, you can do this find this here. For the bell ringer, you can find that here. But in this article, let’s just look at a few great pieces that stand out from the competition.

1. Between the legs

The two-man game between Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey should work early in this game. Although this is only the duo’s fourth competition this campaign, they are as well-rehearsed as ever. This play in the first period is like any other dribble handoff between the two, but Embiid apparently had other ideas. The big guy drops it between his legs for Maxey and sets a screen for Cody Martin, who leaves Maxey wide open for his second of four triples in the first frame.

2. Ricky Council IV is Ricky Council IV

Ricky Council IV has gotten more opportunities for the Sixers as the team struggles with a Voodoo Curse level of injuries early in the season. He takes advantage of it. Council continues to impress with his athleticism, speed, aggressiveness and fearlessness. This piece was no exception. RC4 grabs the loose ball at the defensive end and charges in the other direction, past half court, with three Hornets on the floor in front of him and the net. Council leaves freshman Tidjane Salaun in the dust with the in-and-out dribble and launches an emphatic backscratcher dunk.

3. Embiid still has the moves

It’s amazing how Embiid can produce with a huge knee brace and a mask. That’s one of the reasons why this piece stood out so much to me personally. It was clear throughout the fight (aside from the one time he threw himself out of bounds to save a loose ball) that Embiid was trying to minimize contact and impact to protect his knee and face. The ability to hit a juke like this shows comfort and fluidity in his movements, allowing him to produce without having to use his body for the faceoff ball. Embiid fakes the left side, dances Vasilije Micic right out of his shoes and frees himself up for a comfortable center jump.

Fun fact: Micic was actually drafted by the Sixers with the 52nd overall pick in the second round of the 2014 draft, the year Embiid was also drafted by Philadelphia. However, Micic never joined the Sixers and instead played professionally in Europe.

4. Maxey Martin Alley Oop

This one starts with Paul George grabbing a steal and passing it to Maxey in transition. With two Hornets defenders between him and KJ Martin, Maxey rushes into the arc and hits a high strike in Martin’s direction. Martin is eager to grab that pass and punch it into the goal. That’s not to say it was a bad pass from Maxey at all, he was exactly where he needed to be, but I just want to highlight the athleticism that Martin brings to the Sixers. Pause this highlight at about 0:06. With both feet on the ground, Martin finds the ball well above his head as he strains to grab it and lower it.

5. The Dunking Bear

Guerschon Yabusele murdered a man in the square on Friday evening. OK, not literally. But emotionally and spiritually. In another great transition play from the Sixers, Embiid grabs a steal and sends it forward to Yabusele, who fends it off down the court. As Yabu is about to enter the paint, Charlotte’s DaQuan Jeffries stands in front of him and two Hornets follow him. With nowhere to run, Yabusele uses all of his size and momentum to barrel straight into and over Jeffries, delivering an absolutely nasty poster.

And the flex afterwards? The Chef’s Kiss.

6. Embiid Magic

Not much analysis needed here, just that Embiid is magical. The big guy fights his way through the paint toward the restricted area, where Charlotte’s Nick Richards stood between him and the rim. Embiid stops, pumps the ball all the way up with his right arm and sends Richards flying through the air before pulling the ball back down and quickly switching hands to finish with his left. It was a crazy play that becomes even more monumental in context when you consider that it came during the Hornets’ fourth-quarter attempt to turn the game around.

Which was your favorite? Which pieces did we miss? Let us know in the comments!