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Joel Embiid did not join the Sixers for their last road trip due to pain in his right knee. He was back for Wednesday’s game against the Celtics at Wells Fargo Center, and the Sixers are sure to be delighted with his availability.
Embiid led the Sixers to a 117-109 victory, scoring 42 points on 19 field goal attempts, grabbing 10 rebounds and helping the team go to 10-5 with another MVP-level performance.
Seth Curry approved NBA health and safety protocols but did not play Wednesday as he regains his conditioning after testing positive for COVID-19 on January 7. All players who test positive for COVID-19 are not allowed to exercise for at least 10 days, according to the league’s COVID-19 protocols. Celtics star Jayson Tatum may be able to return for this mini-series finale on Friday as he progressed after testing positive for COVID-19.
Here are some observations on the Sixers’ win on Wednesday:
Embiid too much to handle
Embiid looked sharp and impossible to defend effectively.
The Sixers were successful early on using him in the left elbow area and pick-and-pops at the top of the key, places more difficult for the Celtics to pass him than on the low block.
Boston still wasn’t shy about teaming up with Embiid whenever possible, of course, and the Sixers were perfectly happy to post it as well. There was a great streak for the Sixers in the second quarter as Embiid won the position near the left block, drew in help and made a single pass, and finally saw Shake Milton sink a three of l. other side of the floor. A cross-court assist to Danny Green in the third quarter was another pass highlight from Embiid who has shown his talent this season to perform basic and sophisticated reads from the message.
Embiid is an elite at creating free throws and showed it against another opponent not equipped to stop him, at 17 of 21. This skill was especially important when the Sixers suffered a prolonged drought in the second quarter with no field goal. ground. Embiid’s health is paramount to the Sixers, and the team’s 0-3 record without him this season isn’t necessary to illustrate that obvious fact. That said, give Dwight Howard credit for being a nuisance to the Celtics and registering six offensive rebounds.
Unlike Embiid, Ben Simmons’ score could once again be called modest. The 24-year-old did not make a basket before a steal on Jeff Teague and a transition slam that followed early in the third period. He picked up his fifth foul late in the third quarter and finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
While Simmons has attacked the rim well on several occasions when he sensed an opening and shot 7 for 10 from the foul line, a 17-point outing on Jan.6 against the Wizards is still his peak for the season. Simmons obviously contributes consistently in many ways besides scoring and should benefit from that when Curry returns.
Tobias Harris (22 of 9 for 17 points) provided the offensive momentum needed at key moments, scoring seven straight points when the Sixers fell behind 12-4 and helping the team regain the lead early in the fourth quarter in a formation with four bench players.
Korkmaz’s return and the impact on the Sixers bench
Furkan Korkmaz returned on Wednesday after missing more than three weeks with a left adductor strain, posting seven points in 19 minutes, including an elegant reverse dunk. Isaiah Joe was the Strange Man as Milton, Howard, Matisse Thybulle, and Korkmaz were the only Second Unit Sixers to appear.
When asked about Joe before the game, head coach Doc Rivers said he was not the Sixers’ only shooter.
“He’s a guy who can shoot, but Shake too, Furkan too, Danny Green too, Seth Curry too,” Rivers said. “He’s just in a line of guys that we have. It is a great luxury. It’s a great luxury to have a guy who can step off the bench and hit. You know what else? I thought he was showing himself to be a solid defender as well, which will help to move forward.
Since playing 45 minutes for the seven-man Sixers on Jan. 9, Joe has shot 17 of 39 (43.6 percent) at three points. We’re guessing he’ll have another chance soon enough, whether it comes from another player’s injury or Rivers’ decision at some point to split his minutes with Korkmaz or Thybulle. As Rivers mentioned, the rookie winger has seemed savvy and proud on the defensive end, qualities that should strengthen his case for playing even if his jumper doesn’t fall.
A defensive question
Tyrese Maxey drew the initial mission on Kemba Walker. The rookie didn’t have an auspicious start as Walker, in his second game after missing the start of this season with a left knee injury, drained two leading three-pointers. Matisse Thybulle disturbed Walker a bit in the second quarter with his length, constant activity and disruptive recoil contests, but Walker managed to make two more long-range jumpers. The Sixers were fortunate that Walker (19 points) only played 22 minutes and didn’t stay that hot after halftime as Boston focused on getting him back into action.
While the Sixers didn’t back their big men back against Walker, they were also unwilling to regularly blitz him or force the ball out of the hands of the four-time All-Star. In a future playoff series, would they play a more aggressive pick-and-roll defense against him? We won’t be getting that question answered anytime soon, although we’ll be watching for tweaks in this miniseries finale.
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