In a playoff environment, the Philadelphia 76ers grinded their way to a win without their most valuable player.
These Philadelphia 76ers must love hiking. After a slow start, and despite a mediocre performance from their best active player, the 76ers found a way to win without Joel Embiid. Their last win without Embiid? In Salt Lake City, another mountainous town.
The altitude seemed to have the Sixers a step behind on defense early on. But an unusual hot stretch to end the third quarter (considering how many leads have been blown recently) catapulted the team to a lead they never looked back on.
Getting extra help from the supporting cast was a necessary ingredient to winning without the team’s leading scorer, and boy did they step up to the challenge, as six players (and three non-starters) finished in double figures.
Bonus grade:
Jamal Murray blew by [insert defender] on seemingly every play, and finished with 31 points. Denver had four other players in double digits by the end of the night also, which is a common denominator on most nights for their egalitarian offense.
Next: What's wrong with the Sixers?
Somehow, some way, these young 76ers found a way to beat a playoff-caliber team without Embiid and arguably without the Simmons most have come to know and love. One can hope this is the end of their cold streak.