Joel Embiid Dominant as 76ers Rout Donovan Mitchell, Jazz

Joel Embiid had 23 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and five blocks and JJ Redick added 24 points as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Utah Jazz 114-97 on Thursday at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Ben Simmons had a 14-point, 14-rebound, 12-assist triple-double for the 23-13 76ers.

Rudy Gobert had 17 points, 15 rebounds and five assists for the 17-19 Jazz. Donovan Mitchell added 23 points.

Utah's Perimeter Players Must Shoot Better to Remain Contenders

The Utah defense was its downfall Thursday as the team allowed 73 points in the second and third quarters. However, this performance was a stutter step in an otherwise solid season as Utah entered Thursday sixth in defensive efficiency.

The Jazz have a bigger long-term problem: Point guard Ricky Rubio and shooting guard Donovan Mitchell have not shot well all season.

Entering Thursday, Mitchell had made just 40.7 percent of his field goals and 29.1 percent of his three-pointers. Those numbers are down from 43.7 and 34.0 percent last year, respectively. His player efficiency rating has also dropped from 16.7 to 13.8, and his offensive rating has fallen from 103 to 96.

Mitchell is going through a sophomore slump after a fantastic rookie season, but the bigger issue may be Rubio's shooting.

Granted, scoring isn't necessarily Rubio's calling card, as he's known for his ball-handling, playmaking and defense. However, too many poor shooting nights are on Rubio's 2018-19 resume, as he's made three or fewer field goals in 17 games.

Mitchell had a solid 10-for-20 showing Thursday, so perhaps he's turning his season around. However, Rubio hit just one of his 10 field goals They (and small forward Joe Ingles) were outclassed by the 76ers backcourt of Redick, Simmons and Jimmy Butler, who combined for 56 points on 21-of-38 shooting.

Unless the Jazz backcourt improves, Utah's season may end before the playoffs. An easier down-the-stretch schedule with a handful of games against the bottom of the Eastern Conference should help, but the backcourt duo still needs to hit shots.

76ers' Resilience After Brutal Christmas Loss Proves They're True Contenders

The 76ers were coming off a tough 121-114 Christmas Day loss to the Boston Celtics entering Thursday.

Philadelphia led Boston 113-108 with 3:33 left in overtime, but the C's closed the game on a 13-1 run to beat the 76ers for the second time this year.

That loss added to the 76ers' road woes, as they started the year 0-5 away from Wells Fargo Arena and were 6-10 entering Thursday's game. That defeat also capped a 3-4 stretch as the team headed out west for a four-game swing.

The 76ers could have come out flat after an emotional defeat against a conference rival on national television, but instead, they rolled over the Jazz in a game that was never in doubt in the fourth quarter.

While the Jazz are scuffling through a mediocre year, they're coming off a second-round playoff appearance and have endured a brutal first-half schedule that includes 13 games against the current top eight in the Western Conference. Utah isn't a pushover team.

That makes Philadelphia's win more impressive, as they took a punch against Boston and pulled themselves back up versus a talented squad.

The 76ers took punches in the second round of the playoffs last year and then fell in five games to the Boston Celtics. This postseason could be different as the young team learns and grows together.

The question is whether the 76ers can start winning more consistently on the road. If their performance against the Jazz is more symbolic of what's to come down the stretch, then they'll have as good of a chance as anyone in the East to win the conference.

What's Next?

The Jazz finish a four-game homestand Saturday at 8 p.m. ET against the New York Knicks. The 76ers continue a five-game road trip with a 9 p.m. game at the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.