Snapshot:
PHILADELPHIA, PA — If Joel Embiid managed to do what he did Saturday while playing through a mild left ankle sprain, who knows how much damage he could have done against Phoenix if fully healthy.
The rookie big man ripped through the Suns for a career-high 26 points (9-14 fg, 3-5 3fg, 5-6 ft) in a mere 20 minutes. He proved to be a decisive force in the Sixers 120-105 victory, their third of the season.
“I just made shots, and they gave me a lot of open looks,” Embiid said. “I just fired them away. We were moving the ball, so we got easy baskets.”
Most encouraging to Brett Brown about the Sixers’ convincing performance was that the team, as it did Wednesday versus Washington, rebounded from a one-sided defeat.
“Any time a group shows that they have the ability to respond, to bounce back, to take stuff at practice and bring it forward, is a good sign,” said Brown, whose club lost by 24 points at Minnesota on Thursday. The Sixers’ triumph against the Wizards earlier in the week came on the heels of a 27-point setback to Houston.
The Sixers have now strung together three consecutive wins at The Center, a first since a four-game home streak in 2015 that stretched from January 28th through February 7th.
Saturday, the Sixers set a season-high in points, and matched a franchise record with 17 3-pointers.
“Obviously, the win is good,” Brown said, “but the way that we did it, and the way we got done playing Minnesota and came in and talked about things was very sort of similar to after Houston. I felt our guys played well.”
Embiid, however, was the stand out.
“It feels great,” Embiid told the Sixers Radio Network afterwards. “When we play at home we want to give it our all, and win for our fans.”
In the hours leading up to Saturday’s game, it was uncertain whether Embiid would be even be available. Following the team’s morning shootaround in Camden, New Jersey, he was listed as questionable, as a result of the mild left ankle sprain he sustained Thursday.
During his pre-game media address, Brown didn’t sound overly optimistic that Embiid would be cleared, saying he was “on the fence” about playing the rookie center, who had looked just “ok” earlier in the day.
A conversation between Brown and Embiid shortly after Embiid’s pre-game warm-ups changed things.
“Before the game at the pre-game media meeting [with reporters], I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” Brown said. “He came out of it warming up he felt good. I spoke to him after that. I could tell with his facial expressions that he really did feel good.”
About 20 minutes prior to tip-off, word came down that Embiid was given the go-ahead to start. When the game began, the 7-foot-2, 275-pounder went into total take-over mode.
For as sharp as Embiid has been at various stages of his young career, he was arguably in his most dominant offensive form in Saturday’s opening quarter, especially the first two minutes, 57 seconds.
Embiid’s scoring timeline during that segment of the game went as follows:
• 11:19 – Lay-up
• 10:39 – 3-pointer at the top of the arc
• 10:09 – 3-pointer from the left sideline
• 9:03 – Alley-oop slam
At the eight-minute, two-second mark of the first quarter, Embiid was given a well-deserved breather. He returned four minutes later, misfiring on his first two shots.
In the final two minutes, 15 seconds of the frame, Embiid sunk a pair of free throws, a one-foot hook shot, and another straightaway 3-pointer. He had 17 points in less than eight minutes in the first.
“Honestly, I don’t know how I am able to do it,” Embiid said, when asked about his start to the season, after being sidelined for two years. “Sometimes, I feel like I am lost, but I always say I believe in God and go out and play.”
Embiid’s point total stood at 20 by intermission. Foul trouble limited his involvement in the third quarter, but he still wound up tallying six more points to set a new personal-best scoring mark before his evening ended early in the fourth.
“I just have to play freely, and that’s what I’ve been doing since the beginning of the season,” said Embiid. He had seven rebounds and two blocks, too.
With Embiid establishing himself as an overpowering presence, the Sixers’ offense started to flow. Sergio Rodriguez, who handed out 11 assists, set an effective pace, and, in terms of spacing, outlets began opening up all over the floor. The Sixers took advantage.
Embiid wasn’t alone in supplying the Sixers with an explosive offensive showing. Nik Stauskas offered plenty of firepower as well, delivering 21 points of his own. The output was the second-highest of his career.
“I personally just felt good,” Stauskas said. “We were moving the ball really well.”
The 23-year old Canadian missed only one of his nine shots, a 3-point attempt in the third quarter. Aside from that, he nailed his other five heaves from beyond the arc.
Stauskas has cranked out double-digits in six contests in a row.
“You’re seeing a lottery pick play,” said Brown. “I’m personally happy for him, because he cares sometimes too much, and he’s so self-conscious at times, and extremely prideful. He’s being rewarded for the work he has put in.”
Headlined by Stauskas, the Sixers’ second unit had another impactful night, generating 61 points. Hollis Thompson chipped in with 14 points (5-9 fg, 3-5 3fg) and three rebounds. Dario Saric, thriving in his recently-created reserve role, tallied 10 points (3-7 fg, 2-4 3fg), seven boards, and a career-high five assists.
“We’re getting great production from our bench,” Brown said.
All in all, the effort was complete, and thorough, an ideal way to open a five-game homestand.
