Joel Embiid made his return to the court as the 76ers squared off with the Knicks in their first NBA Cup game.

OG Anunoby scored 24 points and the New York Knicks spoiled 76ers star Joel Embiid’s season debut, beating Philadelphia 109-99 in the opener of NBA Cup group play for both teams.

Now, open your eyes. As much of a dream as that sounds, it doesn’t have to be. If the NBA season ended today, that would be a real possibility for the 2025 Sixers. At 2-7, Philly was tied for the best No. 1 pick lottery odds entering Monday — a far cry from where they’re expected to end up by the end of the season.