GRADES: Joel Embiid drops 50 as Sixers defeat Bulls
A stellar performance from Joel Embiid leads to a 112-105 home victory for the Sixers.
The Sixers hosted Chicago without all-star point guard Ben Simmons and sixth man Shake Milton, with Matisse Thybulle starting.
Philadelphia were off to a good start, going up 15-8 before the first timeout with Joel Embiid having his way with Wendell Carter Jr. on the offensive end, going 3-3 from the field and 2-2 from the line in the first four minutes. Matisse Thybulle was very disruptive with two blocks and a steal in the first eight minutes. The Sixers did well to stop Zach Lavine early on, limiting him to 1-5 from the field with a turnover to start the game. Multiple turnovers and poor offense from the bench players led to the Sixers only having a two-point advantage at the end of the quarter.
The second unit’s offense carried on struggling in the second quarter with Dwight Howard offensive rebounds seeming to be the only thing going right on that end. The return of the starters quickly undid the deficit though to get back in the lead. The hustle to crash the boards on the offensive end was commendable from the Sixers and the half ended with Philly up by five. Embiid led scoring, having put up 25 in the first half.
Turnovers kept the Bulls in the game as Philadelphia seemed incapable of holding onto the ball through a full possession. This remedied itself though as the Sixers played better in the late end of the quarter, extending the lead to 6 points going into the fourth.
With the second unit on the floor, the Bulls got back in the lead with 8:30 to go. Embiid then continued carrying the team alongside the rest of the starters to build a Sixers lead and extend it. The Sixers’ offense picked up as the game was approaching a close with Harris, Green and Curry also doing their part. The Sixers couldn’t contain Lavine late on as he kept Chicago in the game with his scoring but unfortunately for the Bulls, that wasn’t enough to overcome the spectacular performance that Embiid was putting up. The Sixers won 112-105.
C. Philadelphia 76ers. JOEL EMBIID. A+. <strong>36 mins | 50 pts | 17 reb | 5 ast | 2 stl | 4 blk | 2 TO | 17-26 FG | 1-2 3PT| 15-17 FT | 2 PF | +/- +22 |</strong><p> </p><p>Another dominant two-way performance from the big fella tonight. His 25 points in the first half seemed to be a shadow of what could be another unbelievable game from Embiid. He didn’t disappoint as he went on to put up a career high 50 points accompanied by 17 rebounds. On top of his massive performance offensively, he recorded 4 blocks and two steals to highlight a brilliant defensive performance. This was all on efficient shooting and he added 5 assists to top it off. This was a performance that supported his MVP candidacy superbly.</p>
A-. <strong>37 mins | 22 pts | 11 reb | 7 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 4 TO | 9-16 FG | 1-2 3PT| 3-4 FT | 4 PF | +/- +22 |</strong><p>An excellent performance from Tobi. He worked well to crash the boards, picking up 12 rebounds. Beyond the rebounds, he also picked up 7 assists. This was over and above his 22 points on 9-16 shooting. Harris executed his role perfectly as Embiid’s co-star and delivered a great testimony for his all-star campaign.</p>. PF. Philadelphia 76ers. TOBIAS HARRIS
B. <strong>37 mins | 2 pts | 3 reb | 2 ast | 1 stl | 3 blk | 1 TO | 1-3 FG | 0-2 3PT| 0-0 FT | 2 PF | +/- +16 |</strong><p>While Matisse still looks like a non-contributor offensively, his defensive contribution can’t be overstated. His 3 blocks paired with a single steal don’t paint the full picture of how he good was defensively, especially in the first half. He was highly disruptive and pivotal and limiting Lavine in the first half. I hope to see his shot develop so he can become one of the better role players around the league.</p>. SF. Philadelphia 76ers. MATISSE THYBULLE
<strong>37 mins | 13 pts | 2 reb | 5 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 0 TO | 4-10 FG | 4-8 3PT| 1-3 FT | 2 PF | +/- +19 |</strong><p>A good game from Green. He seemed to cut well to get himself open looks and he converted at a decent chip, making half his shots from deep. To add to his solid shooting night, he recorded 5 assists. This was a good performance from Green and finding consistency with similar production would benefit the Sixers greatly. It would be nice to see him make more plays on the defensive end though.</p>. SG. Philadelphia 76ers. DANNY GREEN. B-
Philadelphia 76ers. SETH CURRY. C. <strong>38 mins | 9 pts | 4 reb | 0 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 3 TO | 2-11 FG | 1-5 3PT| 4-4 FT | 2 PF | +/- +15 |</strong><p>Seth’s shot just wasn’t going tonight from both 3 and mid-range. I hope to see him provide the level of shooting we’ve come to expect and he can find some consistency soon.</p>. SG
The Sixers move on to play the Raptors away at 7PM ET on Sunday
Next. Sixers player rankings (Feb. Edition). dark