Joel Embiid relished the chance to face James Harden, and wasn't going to let a little back tightness stop him. Embiid had 32 points and 14 rebounds to lead the 76ers past fellow MVP contender Harden and the visiting Rockets 121-93 on Monday night. "I love playing against guys you guys say are better than me," Embiid said. Harden, selected Western Conference Player of the Week earlier in the day, finished with 37 points, giving him 20 straight games with at least 30. Philadelphia was without four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler (sore wrist), but Embiid more than made up for it. "It was really fun for us," Embiid said. "Don't think it was fun for them.